Folgore Brigade

Brigata paracadutisti "Folgore"
Coat of Arms Folgore Parachute Brigade
Active	January 1, 1963 – Today
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Type	Airborne
Role	Paratroopers Light Infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	COMFOTER Land Operative Forces Command
Garrison/HQ	Livorno
Nickname(s)	"La Folgore"
Colors	light blue
March	Come Folgore dal Cielo
Mascot(s)	Archangel Michael
Anniversaries	23 October (Second Battle of El Alamein)
Engagements	Lebanon MNF Kurdistan Operation Provide Comfort Somalia UNITAF Bosnia IFOR/SFOR Kosovo KFOR Iraq MNF-I East Timor INTERFET Lebanon UNIFIL II Afghanistan ISAF
Commanders
Current commander	Brigadier General Roberto Vannacci

The Folgore Parachute Brigade is the airborne brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units are three battalions of paratroopers (paracadutisti). The name Folgore is Italian for lightning. The Folgore is one of three light infantry brigades of the Italian Army. While the Folgore specializes in parachute operations its sister brigade in the Friuli Division the Air-assault Brigade specializes in helicopter assault operations. The Folgore and its units are based in Tuscany, Veneto and Lazio.

The first units of Italian parachutists were trained and formed shortly before World War II in Castel Benito, near Tripoli in Libya, where the first Military Parachuting School was located. Later the school was moved to Tarquinia in Italy.

On 1 September 1941 the Royal Italian Army raised the 1st Parachute Division in Tarquinia. The division was intended to be used in Operation Hercules – the planned Axis invasion of Malta. In June 1942 the divisions name was changed to 185th Airborne Division Folgore and its regiments renumbered and renamed as well. In North Africa the division participated in the Battles of El Alamein, where the division was the protagonist of a strong resistance against the attacking Commonwealth forces, managing also to drive off some attacks conducted by tanks and heavy infantry. In the course of the Second Battle of El Alamein the division was completely destroyed and therefore officially disbanded on 23 November 1942.