Alpini

The Alpini (English: "Alpines") are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is Alpino ("Alpine").

Formed in 1872, they are the oldest active mountain infantry in the world. Their original mission was to protect Italy's northern mountain border with France and Austria. In 1888 the Alpini were sent to their first mission abroad, in Africa, a continent to which they continued to return for various wars of the Kingdom of Italy. They distinguished themselves during World War I when they fought a three year long campaign in the Alps against Austro-Hungarian Kaiserjäger and the German Alpenkorps in what has since become known as the "War in snow and ice". During World War II, the Alpini fought alongside Axis forces principally on the Eastern Front and in the Balkans Campaigns.

Due to the reorganization of the Italian Army after the end of the Cold War in the 1990s, three of five Alpini brigades and many support units were disbanded. Currently, the Alpini are permanently engaged in Afghanistan.