Deputy Commander Visit to the Italian 2nd Bridge Engineer Regiment Story by ITA (A) Marco Schinzari, ENG Branch , Photos provided by 2nd Bridge Engineer Regiment On July the 7th 2011, the second position. GBR (A) The visit presented the Thomas A. Beckett, General with a perfect NRDC Deputy opportunity to also get Commander, visited the acquainted with the main 2nd Italian Bridge e q u i p m e n t s a n d Engineer Regiment, t e c h n i q u e s u s e d based at , Italy. nowadays by the Italian The aim of the visit was military engineer units to be informed about the deployed for Emergency ongoing activities and and Natural Disaster training techniques of Relief operations. the Italian engineer unit, At the end of the visit which is subordinated General Beckett signed Maj.Gen. Beckett signing the to the Italian Engineer Regiment Book of Honour the Regiment's Honour Command, under the Book. responsibility of the Italian Land River, and the construction of a The origin of the 2nd ITA Bridge Support Forces HQs, and has Bailey fixed bridge. Engineer Regiment traces back to been affiliated to NRDC-ITA Part of the demonstration was the 1st of January 1883, when the Headquarters since 2002. also the “Off Shore” section 4th Bridge Engineer Regiment General Beckett, accompanied by training activity, where NRDC- was established. Several years Colonel ITA (A) Vittorio Stella, I TA D C O M s a w a r a c e later, the 4th Bridge Engr Rgt Assistant Chief of Staff Engineer, preparation activities. To be took part to the WW1 operations, was warmly welcomed by the noted that the 2nd Bridge in the period from 1915 to 1918, Regiment Commander, Colonel Regiment is the sole unit in the emplacing several crossing points Fabio Cornacchia and his Staff. Italian Army to be able to on Isonzo and Piave rivers During the visit, the General provide such a capacity. Among (North-East of Italy), and giving toured the main Regiment sites, the others, the Off Shore section s u p p o r t t o w a r - f i g h t i n g the Regiment historical museum, took part to the 2011 World operations against Austro- and other facilities. He was Championship competition race Hungarian troops. Afterwards, on f briefed on the unit’s history and in Finland last 17th July reaching the 15th of May 1933, the c a p a b i l i t i e s , a n d regiment’s denomination assisted at some training has been modified in the activities performed by 2nd Bridge Engineer the of the Regiment. Then from regiment at “Scalo Po” 1935 till 1936 the 2nd t r a i n i n g a r e a . I n B r i d g e E n g i n e e r partucular, General Regiment was involved in Beckett attended a the operation of Eastern session of specific Africa Campaign. Also, pontooniers training, to from 1941 to 1943 for include the construction WW2 operations, the Unit

om the Staf the om of a floating bridge, an was deployed to perform

r exercise on navigation war–fighting operations procedures on the Po Maj.Gen. Beckett receives the in the Greek-Albanian and F Regiment crest from Col. Cornacchia

6 NRDC-ITA Magazine Russian Campaigns. 1951 and in 1966 the 2nd Bridge Eng Rgt was deployed to provide Engineer S u p p o r t t o t h e n a t i o n a l A u t h o r i t i e s a n d c i v i l i a n population to the flooded areas of Polesine, and Emilia- Romagna regions. Also, the Unit was tasked to s u p p o r t n a t i o n a l c i v i l i a n population for earthquakes in Friuli and Irpinia regions, respectively in 1976 and in 1980.

Since the very early stage of the Balkan crises, the Regiment took A moment of the execise on navigation procedures part in various national and NATO and UN Operations. It Piemonte in 1994, Emilia Homeland and Abroad missions, started with the Italian Operation Romagna in 1996 and 2000 and and represents a great credit for codenamed “Pellicano”, in in 1998. Besides, the the Italian Army and the NATO , 1991-1992, and, almost Regiment was tasked to support Alliance as a whole. at the same time, it took part to the civilian population of the UN mission in , in Abbruzzo region, badly hit by an 1992. Later, the regiment earthquake in 2009. Finally, the deployed several times in support Unit was tasked to support tothe to the various NATO Missions activities aimed at preventing and Operations in the : impending environment disasters - “Joint Guardian”, , 1999 in Campania region, in 2008, and and 2001; along the Po River in 2010. - “Joint Forge”, Bosnia, 2002; Today, the Regiment is based - “Decisive Endevour”, Kosovo, only on one Bridge battalion. 2004; This configuration will be - “Joint Enterprise”, Kosovo, modified in the next future, when 2005 and 2006. the current capabilities will be f Furthermore, in 2007, the Italian doubled with one more Combat regiment provided support to the Support Battalion. This will “ISAF” mission in . eventually enable the unit to Minor contributions were also provide both Engineer Combat provided to the disaster relief Support, as well as all Mobility operation "Indus", for the tasks, in addition to normal River Pakistani earthquake in 2005, Crossing operations activities, and, again in the Kosovo in 2008, enhancing the unit's flexibility, for a Natural Disaster emergency combat power and capability to A soldier from the 2nd operation. perform a wider range of Regiment during a drill (dated 1917) The homeland activities of the military tasks. Regiment are linked to main The 2nd Italian Army Bridge Staf the om

flooding happened in the recent r past in different Italian Regions: Engineer Regiment is a peculiar unit, ready to be employed for F

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