18th Alpini Regiment


The 18th Alpini Regiment is an inactive regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.

History

The regiment was formed on 13 September 1991 by elevating the existing "Edolo" Battalion to regiment. Between 1 November 1886 and 1 October 1975 the battalion was one of the battalions of the 5th Alpini Regiment. After the 5th Alpini Regiment was disbanded during the 1975 Italian Army reform the battalion, based in Meran, became one the battalions of the Alpine Brigade "Tridentina". As the traditions and war flag of the 5th Alpini Regiment were assigned to the "Morbegno" battalion, the Edolo battalion was granted a new war flag on 12 November 1976 by decree 846 of the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone. The two Gold Medals of Military Valour and the Messina earthquake Medal of Merit awarded to the 5th Alpini Regiment, were duplicated for the new flag of the Edolo battalion, and the Silver Medal of Military Valour awarded to the Edolo battalion for its conduct at Derna on 29 May 1913 during the Italian conquest of Libya was transferred from the flag of the 5th Alpini to the Edolo's flag.
The main task of the regiment was the training of the recruits for the Alpini regiments based in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of northern Italy. On 1 March 1998 the regiment was assigned to the Alpine Corps Command, but with the suspension of compulsory military service the regiment was dissolved on 30 September 2004.

Structure

When the regiment was disbanded it had the following structure: