BELLUNO. The Seventh Alpini Regiment, stationed in Belluno, “is ready” for mountain rescue. This is confirmed by General Claudio Berto, commander of the Alpine troops, retired for a few hours, but who has been held in service for some time yet. And on 22 September, at the 5 Torri, a shared exercise will take place. All to follow.
Last year, in March, the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps and the Alpine Troops Command signed an important technical agreement, to institutionalize and increase the close operational and training collaboration in rescue. Now the agreement goes live. Captain Berto explains this, on the sidelines of the 50th Rally at the Bosco delle Penne Mozze in Cison (Tv).
General Berto, it is almost a war bulletin that of the CNSAS these days; so many accidents at high altitude. Your cooperation is all the more useful. When, then, will you implement the agreement?
«We have already intervened twice on the Gran Sasso d’Italia with the Ninth Regiment and at least once with the Third in the Piedmont area. The Seventh has not yet been invested but is ready. It is one of the most prepared regiments from the mountaineering point of view and therefore, if there is an emergency, it is able to leave immediately. We make available our skills, our materials and our means ».
What does Belluno represent today for the Alpine troops? Does it risk being suburbs?
“No, on the contrary. For us the province of Belluno is interesting. Here we have one of the best regiments of the Alpine troops, the Seventh Regiment commanded by Colonel Fregona. It is the most alpine regiment of all. By the way, they always win ski championships. Indeed, we give you an appointment at the Cinque Torri… ».
It is the iconic mountain of Cortina. What will the appointment be?
“We will do the summer exercise on September 22nd. The friends of the Seventh will be the protagonists. They will show the most innovative mountaineering techniques. There will be a great collaboration with the Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps, to which we will dedicate a lot of space ».
The Bosco delle Penne Mozze, where 2405 Alpine fallen, including from Belluno are remembered, she called it the “cathedral of sacrifice”. Because?
«Today the sacrifice has been emptied of its meaning, canceled from the vocabularies, placed in a reliquary and it is considered a relic, indeed something that has an obscure meaning. For us, sacrifice is a very different thing, as the Alpine troops of Belluno are well aware of. It is courage and pietas, which are the same thing ».
Courage why?
«I will always remember Marshal Gigli who died in Afghanistan in 2010 and was a gold medalist for military valor. In front of an explosive device he sacrificed himself: he tried to send the others away, he shielded them with his body, he died near Herat which unfortunately we were forced to abandon. I also remember another gold medal, Adorno, wounded in the legs in an action to recover other soldiers ».
Courage and pity, he said.
«Do you remember the images of Bergamo? All the trucks where there were humans inside with our soldiers. Soldiers who, as they explained to me, felt compelled to replace the presence of relatives who were not there. An act of extreme piety that shows who we are and who we are for those who don’t know us or pretend not to know us ».
The national president of Anas, Sebastiano Favero, from Bosco delle Penne Mozze, urged the Parliament and the Government to restore compulsory draft.
«From a technical point of view, there are great difficulties. I mention one for all: many barracks are no longer accessible. I believe that restoring them is a titanic undertaking, almost impossible ». Francesco Dal Mas