VICENZA, Italy--Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade conducted a demonstration of the brigade's airdrop capabilities by parachuting a military Humvee from a U.S. Air Force C-130 for Italian civic and military leaders at Frida IV Drop Zone near Dandalo, Italy, June 25.
The demonstration is the last part of a six-year project to get a drop zone capable of handling heavy equipment in northeastern Italy, about 30 miles from Aviano Air Base, where the 173rd's air drop and parachute rigging section is located.
"It will be a tremendous benefit for the 173rd to have a heavy drop zone right here near Aviano, closer to Vicenza," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Patrick M. Clark, the brigade's senior airdrop technician. "Once this drop zone is approved, we will no longer have to spend extra time, energy and fuel to train in Pisa, or Germany."
Italian army officials from the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional military command, regional and municipal representatives, Italian veterans, and the press viewed the jump as well.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, is the U.S. Army Contingency Force for Europe, and as such must be ready to aerially insert forces and equipment anywhere in the U.S. European, Central and Africa Commands' areas of operations in 18 hours or less.
Only a few airborne units have organic parachute riggers assigned to them; the 173rd is one of those units. The parachute riggers, part of the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion, must constantly train on their aerial delivery rigging capabilities to remain certified and fit for the fight.
"You need to maintain that edge as a parachute rigger, because at any time the brigade can call us and ask us to drop anything, anywhere in the world -- it's what we do," said Clark.
While the brigade's paratroopers conduct multiple parachute operations in Italy and throughout Europe every month, they only conduct on average one heavy airdrop operation per month, due to not having an approved drop zone in the Veneto region.
"This is important training for the 173rd, as well as the U.S. Air Force," said Italian army Sgt. Maj. Luca Bertozzo, the brigade's senior noncommissioned liaison officer. "It's not just training for combat operations, but also for the delivery of emergency equipment in case of local disaster: ambulances, food, water, and medicine -- anything that can go on an airdrop platform."
In order for an area to be certified for airdrop capabilities, a sensible location must be located and then surveyed; making sure it meets certain size requirements. Then the survey must be submitted to the first U.S. Air Force general officer responsible for that area of operation.
Drop zones in foreign areas must then be approved though the bureaucratic process of the host government.
On hand for the demonstration was Dr. Mariagrazia Santoro, the regional councilor for planning, Friuli Venezia Giulia, where the new drop zone is located.
"It's very important for Italian and American paratroopers to be able to do training like this here," said Santoro. "By training during peacetime, we will be better prepared during times of natural disasters or war."
Santoro, a staunch supporter of allied Italian-U.S. training, is a member of the Italian committee that brings together military and civil authorities for the joint management of military training areas, has taken flack from some of her political opponents for supporting the development of the Celina Meduna training area, where the U.S. and Italian paratroopers have multiple drop zones, weapons ranges and an urban warfare training area.
"Italy and the United States have a special relationship and together we can manage the training area together in a professional and respectful way," she said. "Our joined training is important because our forces together can give all they can for democracy and support our shared regional security."
When developing the drop zone, a former tank range, the American and Italian governments joined together to clear it of unexploded ordinance, while being sensitive to the environmental concerns of the local community.
"We cleaned up the area to make it better than it was before," said Bertozzo. "We are applying the strictest rules and considerations in terms of environmental protection -- some of the highest standards in Europe. Italian civilians even use the area on the weekends for camping and spending time with nature."
Once the drop zone receives its final certification, the 173rd is expected to airdrop one to three loads a month.
"This is the first drop we have done on Frida IV and good things will come from this," said Clark. "None of this would have been possible without the support of our military and civilian allies here in this community and in Rome. I would really like to thank them for allowing us the opportunity to demonstrate our airdrop capabilities and am looking forward to more bilateral training opportunities."
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