The 132nd “Ariete” armored brigade of the Italian Army has today completed eighty-two years of history. The anniversary was commemorated this morning at the "Mittica" barracks in Pordenone during the solemn flag-raising ceremony, which took place in a reduced form due to the current epidemiological situation, which was also attended by representatives of the National Tank Association of Italy and the Nastro Azzurro Institute.
The 61st commander of theRam, Brigadier General Roberto Banci, after reading the agenda, intervened to emphasize the meaning of today's anniversary, inviting us to preserve the cult of history and to enhance the traditions of the past. A moving thought was therefore addressed to the Fallen and to those Soldiers who, in time of war and in peace, were wounded in order to carry out their duties and keep faith in the sacred Oath to Italy.
Established as a division in Milan on February 1, 1939, theRam she was one of the leading players in the events of the Second World War, distinguishing herself for her worth and tenacity in numerous war episodes, such as the conquest of Tobruk and the second battle of El Alamein. The valiant behavior during the long operating cycle in Northern Africa, from February 1941 to November 1942, meant that theRam was the Unit of the Italian Army with the highest number of citations in the war bulletins of the Supreme Command. After almost total annihilation, the division was reconstituted on 1 April 1943 and was particularly distinguished in the defense of Rome from the Nazi-fascist troops.
Since 1949 the Command ofRam is in Pordenone, becoming one of the most significant examples of a happy marriage between local communities and the military community. Since the end of the Second World War, theRam it has undergone various reconfigurations, up to the reduction to brigade level, which today has seven regiments and a command department located mainly in the Friuli area, and has been frequently engaged in operations, both abroad and on the national territory. In particular, it took part in operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Lebanon and, recently, in Afghanistan. The brigade currently constitutes the high-readiness military force within the NATO Readiness Initiatives (NRI) for the two-year period 2021-2022 and, in the second half of 2021, also for the European Union, to be readily usable where necessary.
Firmly linked to the local territory and close to the population, theRam it has always contributed, on the occasion of natural disasters, to rescue and reconstruction operations. From Vajont, in 1963, to the recent floods that affected the Po Valley, from the 1976 earthquake in Friuli to the 2016 seismic events in central Italy and up to the current health and logistical support provided for the emergency caused by COVID-19 , numerous are the interventions carried out by the soldiers of the Brigade, who have always guaranteed, with professionalism and dedication, their presence in times of difficulty in the country.
Equally significant is the participation of its units in operations, in collaboration with the police, for the purposes of security on the national territory. In particular theRam continues its commitment in the “Strade Sicure” operation with its departments that have been employed in recent years in various areas of Italy and, in these days, are operating in the squares of Milan, Brescia and Bergamo.
