From the war front to the international stage: how the Black Feathers evolved from soldiers into builders of the future, serving peace
A common thread runs through the history of the Alpini from the 1990s to today: the move from the Italian mountains to international crisis zones, from defending national borders to building peace. An evolution that has not betrayed the founding values of the Corps but has carried them into the world, showing that the Alpini spirit can adapt to the times without losing its essence.
Today, when we talk about the Alpini, we do not think only of the trenches of the Great War or the retreat from Russia. We also think of the blue helmets in Lebanon, the soldiers in Afghanistan, the humanitarian missions in the Balkans. Because the Black Feathers have become protagonists of a new story: the story of peace.
The first steps: from the Balkans to the Middle East
The era of international operations for the Alpini began in the early 1990s. After decades guarding the Italian Alps, Alpine troops were called to operate in distant theatres, in complex settings where military courage was not enough and diplomatic, humanitarian and mediation skills were also needed.
The first major missions saw the Alpini deployed in Lebanon between 1982 and 1984 (the «Libano 1» and «Libano 2» missions), then in Albania with Operation Alba in 1997. In 1991 came Operation Airone in Kurdistan, protecting the Kurds threatened by the Baghdad government. But it was in 1993-94 that the Alpini took on one of their most significant missions: Operation Albatros in Mozambique, devastated by 16 years of civil war.
🕊️ ITALY ON THE FRONT LINE
The Italian presence in peace missions is among the largest in the world. In 2003 Italy had 9,054 military personnel deployed on missions abroad, second only to the United States, the United Kingdom and France. The Alpini were a key part of this commitment, appreciated internationally for their professionalism and humanity.
Bosnia and Kosovo: war on our doorstep
With the conflict in the Balkans, peace missions arrived on our doorstep. The war in the former Yugoslavia shook Europe, and Italy responded with a massive military commitment. In Bosnia and Kosovo, Italy came to deploy 6,463 military personnel, many of them Alpini.
Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia served to guarantee the security framework needed to normalise the situation after the war. The Italian contribution, Italfor Bosnia, was about 1,390 men. The Alpini operated in the Sarajevo area with the 5th Regiment, carrying out patrols, guaranteeing security and assisting the civilian population.
In Kosovo the Alpini took part in the OSCE verification mission (KVM) in 1998-99 and, after the NATO intervention and the withdrawal of the Serbian army, helped stabilise an area still deeply torn by the conflict.
Afghanistan: the longest and most complex mission
If the Balkans were the «nearby war», Afghanistan was the distant and complex challenge. From 2002 the Alpini were protagonists of one of the toughest and longest commitments in recent Italian history.
The first contingent of Alpini sent to Afghanistan was a company of the «Monte Cervino» Battalion, which reached Kabul in May 2002. Since then the Alpini presence on Afghan soil was never interrupted. Operation Nibbio in Khost, on the border with Pakistan, involved a thousand men under the command of an Alpini general, including the 9th Regiment from L’Aquila.
In Kabul the 3rd Regiment and companies of Alpini paratroopers from the glorious Monte Cervino battalion operated within ISAF (International Security Assistance Force). In Herat the 7th Alpini Regiment was deployed, supported by units of the 5th and 6th Alpini and Alpini paratroopers of the Monte Cervino.
The operations in Afghanistan were not only military: the Alpini carried out patrols and reconnaissance along the mountainous border areas, but also provided medical care to the population. One example that has remained in memory is that of a badly burned little girl who was admitted and treated at the field hospital of Camp Salerno.
⚔️ THE PRICE OF PEACE
The commitment to international missions has had a human cost. Alpini have fallen in Afghanistan, victims of attacks. The first, controversial UN mission in the Congo in 1961 saw thirteen Italian airmen massacred. Italy has paid a heavy price for peace in the various international theatres.
Lebanon: Operation Leonte
One of the most important and long-lasting missions has the Alpini as protagonists in Lebanon. Operation Leonte, under UN auspices within the UNIFIL mission, takes its name from Lebanon’s largest river, which marks the boundary of the area where the Italian contingent operates.
In 2006, after the war between Israel and Hezbollah, Italy was among the first countries to intervene. The operation began with «Mimosa 06» and then continued as Leonte, initially using an «entry force» made up of the Navy’s amphibious troops, followed by Army units.
The Italian contribution exceeds 1,200 personnel, making Italy the second-largest contributor of military personnel. Italy leads the western sector of the mission, where more than 3,600 troops from seventeen different nations operate. The Alpine brigades, in particular the Taurinense, have taken turns leading the Italian contingent.
Operational activities include patrols along the «Blue Line» (the line of demarcation between Lebanon and Israel), joint training with the Lebanese army and support for the civilian population. A commitment that began in 2006 and continues today, proof of the Alpini’s ability to operate in complex settings over long periods.
Being men first, then soldiers
What makes the Alpini so appreciated on international missions? Not only their military training, but above all a human approach that sets them apart. In the words of a veteran of the Balkan missions: «Being men first, even with a weapon in your hand, means sharing suffering, easing it, offering solidarity and restoring respect, without forgetting the task that must be carried out anyway.»
The Alpini bring to international theatres the same spirit of solidarity that has always marked them. They build bridges, schools and hospitals. They treat children, help the elderly and support local communities in rebuilding. They are not just a military force, but a bridge of peace and cooperation.
Main operational theatres of the Alpini (1990s to today):
- Lebanon – Peacekeeping missions since 1982, Operation Leonte since 2006
- Albania – Alba 1997, AFOR 1999
- Iraqi Kurdistan – Operation Provide Comfort 1991
- Mozambique – Operation Albatros 1993-94
- Bosnia – Joint Guard and Constant Guard 1997-98
- Kosovo – OSCE/KVM 1998-99
- Afghanistan – Operation Nibbio, Enduring Freedom, ISAF from 2002
- Iraq – Operation Antica Babilonia 2004-06
A new way of being Alpini
International missions have profoundly transformed the role of the Alpini without betraying their identity. Today the Alpine troops are «renewed in structure and in the roles they perform», as official documents put it, but they remain faithful to their age-old values: courage, solidarity, a sense of duty, humanity.
From the general commanding a UN mission to the last private patrolling an Afghan village, the Alpini have shown they can uphold the honour of the Black Feathers even in settings very different from the Italian mountains. They have carried into the world the approach that has always set them apart: being warriors when necessary, but men first of all.
And when they come home to the national gatherings, the same Alpini who served in Lebanon or Afghanistan parade alongside Second World War veterans and post-war veterans. Different generations, different missions, but the same spirit. The same hat with the black feather. The same pride in having served, each in his own way, peace and freedom.
Because the Alpini teach us that values do not change with the times: they adapt. And that one can be a soldier serving peace without any contradiction. All it takes is to have in your heart, even before the uniform on your back, love for humanity and a sense of duty towards those who suffer.
The Italian mountains will always be the home of the Alpini. But the world has become their field of action. And wherever they go, they bring with them that piece of Italy made of values, solidarity and humanity that makes the Black Feathers recognised and appreciated in every corner of the planet.
Michele Sacchet
