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Home , Alpini, Bersaglieri, Colonel, Conegliano, Italian Army, Olona

ITA (A) Giorgio BATTISTI

Deputy Commander General GBR (A) Sir George NORTON

Chief of ITA (A) Giovanni FUNGO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword p. 3

Commander’s Biography p. 4

Mission Statement p. 6

Commander’s Vision p. 6

Contributing Nation p. 7

Background Notes p. 8

“Ugo Mara” Barracks p. 10

The Emblem p. 12

The Longobards p. 13

The overall classification of this document is NATO UNCLASSIFIED RELEASABLE TO THE PUBLIC Commander ofNATO Rapid Deployable - , Italian Giorgio Battisti Again, welcometothe schools, clubsandorganisations. communities, in which our members also play a key role supporting local At welfare facilities. dedicated by supported organisations and clubs of variety a through life, of families daily Headquarters the the in participation their includes encourages and personnnel that community a is Our talented work force. and diverse our in ourselvers pride We . to close Olona, Solbiate in NATObased 15 nations, from coming personnel civilian and We are a multinational NATO Headquarters with more than 2000 military organisations NATO profile high two based inItaly. the of one is and Headquarters, NRDC-ITA you gain anunderstandingoftheenvironment. help and information some you give to designed is handbook This Headquarters! Italy Corps Deployable Rapid O NRDC-ITA bhl o te odes imn Sae ad aaiir at and Seamen Airmen, , the of behalf n s n o te lines ie ai Dpoal Corps Deployable Rapid nine Alliance’s the of one is we feel privileged to live in and be part of the local Italian local the of part be and livein privilegedto feel we NATO RapidDeployable Corps–Italy FOREWORD I ol lk t wloe o al o our to all you welcome to like would I , 3 ! NRDC-ITA NATO NATO

NATO RAPID DEPLOYABLE CORPS - ITALY THE COMMANDER

Lieutenant General Giorgio Battisti was born in Mantova on October 11, 1953. He is a graduate of the 154th course at the Military Academy, the Italian General Staff Course and Advanced General Staff Course for senior Officers. General Battisti was commissioned into the “Taurinense” in 1976, when he was assigned as Deputy Commander of the 40th Battery with the rank of . He then commanded various battery-level units affiliated to the Italian contingent at the Allied Mobile Force (Land) (AMF (L)), and took part in 21 NATO exercises. Once promoted to the rank of Lieutenant , he commanded the “” Artillery , of the “Julia” Alpini Brigade. In 1997, upon promotion to Colonel, General Battisti returned to the Italian Army Military Academy, as the Commander of the Cadets’ . General Battisti has extensive experience both as a staff and an operational Commander. He has a wide-ranging background that includes operations in coalition environments, at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. In fact, he deployed to in 1993 and Bosnia in 1997 to take part in the ongoing military operations. Furthermore, from December 2001 to May 2002 he was the first Commander of the Italian Contingent during the ISAF mission in Kabul. He also held the appointment of the in-Theatre Italian Senior National Representative. Promoted to General, in 2002 he assumed command of the “Taurinense” Alpini Brigade. At this time he deployed to to be the Commander of first “Nibbio” Mission, within the framework of Operation Enduring Freedom and the ISAF Mission, as well as the Italian Senior National Representative. Throughout his career, General Battisti has held several appointments at the Staff, serving in various capacities, such as Staff Officer at the Information Technology Branch, from 1988 to 1990, Section Chief of the Office of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, from 1991 to 1993, as Chief of the Ops Center, from 1994 to 1997, and as Chief of Plans and Situation, from 1999 to 2001. Further on, in late 2003, he stepped down as Brigade Commander to become the Deputy Head of the General Affairs Department, and then Head of Department from 2005 to 2006. In the latter capacity he was also appointed

4 as theItalian Army OfficialSpokesperson. an enthusiasticandsometimessufferingInterMilan fan. is and basis regular a on himself challenging non-competitiverunner a is He free timehecanwiththem. of moment every spending for cares he and daughter,Cecilia a and Filippo, General Battisti and his wife Simonetta have three sons, Alessio, Umberto and throughout theISAFmissionhewas awarded theUSLegionofMeritMedal. de of the Romanian General Staff in 2013. OperacionesIn the same year, for his achievements de Distintivos Spanish Mantenimiento de Paz Polish for the the ISAF and Mission in 2007 and Frenchthe Emblem of and Honor the Medal, Medal UN Commemorative the Republic, French the of Mérite du National l’Ordre de Officier the Republic, Italian the of Merit of Order the of the Operation Enduring Freedom for in Afghanistan in 2003 and Medal the Commander Star Bronze US in the received Somalia Battisti General in Additionally 1993. Operation UNOSOM for Cross Commemorative Italian the the Croce di Ufficiale for Operation Enduring Freedom. He was also awarded awarded then was firstly and Mission He ISAF the the for Cavaliere di Croce the from received Afghanistan. in honours service received outstanding for twice d’Italia Militare has Ordine he distinctions many his Amongst Representative. fourth time, being appointed as Chief of Staff ISAF and Italian Senior National From 15 January 2013 to 24 January 2014 he deployed to Afghanistan for the June 2011. 30 on Italy – Corps Deployable NATORapid the of command assumed He General Battistiwas promotedLieutenantGeneral on1January 2011 Italian the Operational Land Forcesat HQin Staff .of Chief the was he 2011 June 24 to 2008 May 31 From National Representative. time, as Deputy Chief of Staff Support at ISAF Headquarters and Italian Senior deployedGeneralhe Major 2006, to in Promoted to third the for Afghanistan 5

NATO RAPID DEPLOYABLE CORPS - ITALY MISSION STATEMENT

NRDC-ITA is to be prepared to deploy as a Corps, Land Component Command or Joint Task Force HQ for land-centric operations under NATO or, when authorised, EU command to conduct or sustain missions throughout the operational spectrum, both within and beyond NATO’s area of responsibility for the collective defence of Alliance territory or in pursuit of Alliance, EU or coalition security interests.

COMMANDER’S VISION

NATO ‘s premier High Readiness Force Headquarters that is adaptive, deployable and able to successfully conduct operations across the full military spectrum. A unique, challenging and rewarding environment that empowers, motivates and fulfils its members to be part of a winning team.

6 nldn te upr Biae n sbriae nt, h pplto at Ugo Mara Barracks isapproximately 2000strong. population the units, subordinate and Brigade Support the Including America nations: contributing 15 from coming personnel to operate successfully. The project currently involves around 400 military NRDC-ITAenables that factor key the is environment multi-national The nations contributingtotheproject. Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers coming from the other of up made is 30% remaining the and personnel, of 70% providing approximately nation, framework the is Italy Milan. to close ,Olona, N D – ITA – RDC , . , CONTRIBUTING NATIONS , s mlintoa Haqatr bsd n Solbiate in based Headquarters multi-national a is , and , The, , The United areanticipated tojoinussoon. 7 , and the and Italy , , of States United , , , , NATO RAPID DEPLOYABLE CORPS - ITALY BACKGROUND NOTES

Following a review of its force structure, in 2001 NATO decided on the parameters of a new structure to provide the Alliance with rapid deployable, mobile, sustainable and flexible multinational forces and their command and control capabilities. Following NATO’s requirements for High Readiness Forces, the Italian Ministry of Defence formed the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy.

NRDC-ITA is an organization with a committed, confident and experienced multinational staff working in a cohesive and structured team and using well-developed doctrine for multinational and joint operations at the land component level.

NRDC-ITA is a multi-national Headquarters comprising of personnel from 15 NATO nations with Italy as the lead nation. English is the working language and the Headquarters encourages and utilizes the different experiences and approaches of its personnel.

8 efficient and effective decision making processes making decision effective and efficient of deployment and knowledge professional deep training, robust and Throughsustained the including Kabul. in HQs ISAF the of part experienced as 2012 in Afghanistan to staff numerous operationally is HQ The uaiain i aece, t. floig h NT cnet f the of concept NATO the Comprehensive Approach. following etc.) agencies, aid humanitarian any in actors (governativenon-governativescenario organizations, organizations, crisis non-military with professionals, skilled through operate, to also but Operations, military Control and Command to able only not is Headquarters Thecells. coordination and staff Force Air and Navy of of capability joint The Corps. and an additional capability to the already existing Land Component Command operational level. The generation of a Joint Task Force HQ is considered as NRDC-ITA NATO’s premierResponseForces. s oig rm prtn sll a te atcl ee t the to level tactical the at solely operating from moving is NRDC-ITA 9 is given by the presence the by given is NRDC-ITA s n of one is

NATO RAPID DEPLOYABLE CORPS - ITALY UGO MARA BARRACKS

The NRDC-ITA and its Support Brigade are headquartered in , in the , in the Ugo Mara Barracks, which has hosted a number of military headquarters during its history.

After being used as a military firing range in the period 1884-1911, in 1913, the Italian Ministry of Defence, then called “Ministry of War”, accepted a request from the Mayor of Busto Arsizio to turn the site into an base, home of the 5th Air Force (where the legendary Italian fighter pilot, Francesco Baracca, served). The barracks were later to be used as an internment camp for Prisoners of War before becoming an artillery depot in 1920.

Hangar dietro la palazzina-comando, lo storico capannone della 5^ Squadriglia di Framcesco Barracca. Foto del 1913

Chronologically, it housed the 3rd Armoured and the 4th and 20th . In 1976, following a Force structure review, the Italian Army decided to base here the 4th “Passalacqua” Armoured Battalion and the 10th Bersaglieri Battalion, then the 67th Infantry Battalion, the Logistic Battalion of the Mechanized Brigade, and, finally, in

10 1995, the33rd“Ambrosiano” LogisticRegiment. awarded aSilver andBronzemedalformilitary valour. posthumously was and 1918 January 28 on died Mara commander.Ugo bravely distinguishing himself for valour and rising to the post of Battalion fought he where border, Slovenian the near , at WarTwoWorld Army. Born in Busto Arsizio, Ugo Mara served as an infantry officer during gate main the near entrance, Mara,Ugo Italian Lieutenant the Second from of plaque a is there is there the at wall the on looks one If named. is workplace our whom after person the to words few a devotingworth is It La Palazzina difrontealcorpoguardiaquandolaCasermaUgoMara era Campodi Aviazione. Foto del1913 born. 1km and from the airport, A8 international highway. Malpensa On from 1 November 15km 2001, Milan, from 30km only excellent existing infrastructure and strategic location. It is, in fact, situated Ugo Mara Barracks was officially designated to host the and NATOproject, the Readiness join High to decided Italy 2000, In La Palazzina difrontealcorpoguardiaquandolaCasermaUgoMara era unCampodi Aviazione. Foto del1913 11 NRDC-ITA NRDC-ITA was officially , due to its

NATO RAPID DEPLOYABLE CORPS - ITALY THE EMBLEM

The history of the NRDC-ITA emblem goes back to the 3rd Celere , which during World War Two fought bravely in the Yugoslavian campaign (1941) and in (1942) within the Italian Expeditionary Corps.

In 1957, the 3rd Italian Corps was established in Milan, in control of three Divisions and various support units. During almost 40 years of activity the Corps, amongst others, played a key role in contributing and supporting the Italian Contingent deployed in in 1982. Furthermore, its units participated in Operation IBIS in Somalia in 1993/4. Finally, in 1997 the Corps assumed responsibility for the “Alba” Mission in Albania, the first multinational Italian-led mission. Fifteen contributing Nations brought humanitarian aid to a country experiencing a dramatic economic and political situation.

In 1998, in the wake of the restructuring of the Italian Army, the 3rd Corps was transformed into the Projection Forces Headquarters (FOP), in command and control of three , which were characterized by high mobility and deployability.

In 2001, following NATO’s request to provide a High Readiness Force Headquarters, the Italian Ministry of Defence reshaped the FOP forming the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy (NRDC-ITA).

The NRDC-ITA emblem is a shield in two parts with a sword and an eagle’s head. The sword is historically based on the one adopted by the “Celere” Division during World War Two. The eagle’s head represents strength and the Headquarters’ ability to deploy quickly. The colours are the same as those adopted by the Projection Forces HQ. The shield is framed by another shield, which is green and carries the acronym NRDC-ITA and the motto “Ubique Celere”, which is the Latin for “Everywhere Rapidly”.

12 old Romanorganisation. significant interaction which took place between the new conquerors and the Lombard kingdom, as shown by the name itself, synonymous of the deep and where , current The for theback oftheneck. tied plates s-shape together thin with leather of straps. made The were helmets had breastplates a front their plate and and a mail helmets protection Their outwards. facing boss iron an by protected was handle the which of centre the at shield wooden round one had also he protection, own his Toensure single cutsword. shorter a saxe, the and long, swordmeter double-edged a a to spatha, up the weapon main his Thewarrior,as Lombard had man), (armycalled Arimanno the latesixthandeighthcenturies. with Germanic values, and so giving rise to a new and them original integrate culture to between how knowing influences, Byzantine the and Christianity of Italy,in Once spirituality tradition,the Roman the assimilated Longobards the emanation oftheEdictRotariin643 AD. the by evidenced as language, official the as Latin adopted and pagans) still partly were they arrival their of time the (at religion Catholic the embraced traditions, and culture their assimilated they populations, Byzantine the and the Franks of Charlemagne in 774. After being in contact with the Italic-Roman ), where they ruled for over two centuries before being defeated by ,Lombardy,and Emilia, Piemonte, Umbria (Friuli, , peninsula the of much over expanded that kingdom a founded Longobards the Italy In ethnic groups,mainlyGermanic,assimilatingtheirtraditions. h Lnoad wr a acet einmdc people semi-nomadic ancient an were Longobards The enlightened of also men. but warriors of kingdom a to only Italy,not Northern birth givingof territories the in settled they when especially cultures, other of best the absorb to ability strong and vision multi-ethnic their of virtue by N this long migration they were able to integratemigrationto long ableother this werewith they and in Pannonia, they settled in Italy in 568. During course of the Elba river, the middle course of the Danube lower the along progressively stopping them saw which AD, century second the in southward, migration long a ‘Winnili’.After the of line Scandinavian the to belonging THE LONGOBARDS RDC-ITA NRDC-Italy a coe a is ybl h Longobards the symbol its as chosen has 13 s oae, a te er o the of heart the was located, is

NATO RAPID DEPLOYABLE CORPS - ITALY NOTES

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