Alpini Training US Paratroopers in Alpinism - Couldn't be Better!

[Ovidio]

I just found this interesting report of a recent training of two platoons of Paratroopers from the 173rd Brigade from Vicenza.
They were trained around the most beautiful mountains of the Dolomites, close to Cortina.
The General in Charge, Division General Risi, was the commander of the Service Company at my Regiment 27 years ago.
I was under him for a short while during the training for Strong Resolve '95, since I was attached to the Avalanche specialists and also appointed as liaison officer with the Brigade, then Division HQ.
Nice to see that he's still going strong.

Alpini dell’Esercito addestrano i paracadutisti dell’Esercito USA - Difesa Online

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[browningautorifle]

I was supposed to come over back in '82 to do Monte Bianco and the mountain instructor course but got promoted that year...they made me stay to prove myself doing the exact same job again and sent another guy that didn't make the climb. Once in a lifetime chance, I missed it.

[Ovidio]

Monte Bianco would have been a feat.
What a pity!

[browningautorifle]

What a pity!

I never let go of that dream until too old. The guy they sent couldn't climb, had no experience and was far too large anyway. I could have climbed with the Alpini...long time ago now.

[Ovidio]

And you would have known real pros. Wonderful experience. There are such great mountaineers in the special reconnaissance units... And they're all guys who come from high level climbing experiences, even now.
Real professionals. They are called alpieri, which practically means that they are mountain guides.
In our company at Military School, like every other cadets companies, we had a few of them.
All guides already at that age in civilian life.
I made the Gran Paradiso, where we had to stop short of the tip because of a real snow storm. After you pass the 3000 metres, it gets a tad tougher to go up, but what a satisfaction.