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VICENZA, Italy – Paratroopers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade will conduct a toy donation to the community of Camisano Vicentino, Dec. 5, 2023. This event allows the Paratroopers of the Brigade to partake in the meaning of the season and help less fortunate children during the holidays.
Soldiers with the 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion (BEB), 173rd Airborne Brigade, will depart Caserma Ederle with toys donated by paratroopers and their families, arriving at a sports field in Camisano Vicentino at 1330.
“The toy donation is a fun way to keep our Paratroopers mission-ready,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Travis Toole, commander of the 54th BEB. “On the same day, we’re also able to build some interoperability with the 56th Rescue Squadron.”
Each of the Vicenza-based battalions within the 173rd Airborne is paired with a local community where they focus outreach activities and help further integrate Soldiers into the shared community.
“I’m very grateful to Mayor Marangon for allowing us to serve in this way,” said Toole. “The people of Camisano Vicentino, as well as the greater Vicenza area, have been very gracious to us. This event serves as a small token of our appreciation.”
Paratroopers will move by bus from Caserma Del Din to Camisano Vicentino where they will link with the local community and walk together with families to the town hall. More than 45 Paratroopers will participate in the event.
“We are immensely proud to support this partnership operation with our paratrooper friends from the U.S. Army. The town of Camisano Vicentino has always been close to the American soldiers and families who live in our municipality. We have invited all citizens and schools to give our warm welcome to the paratroopers,” said Mayor Renzo Marangon.
Concurrently, the 54th BEB will conduct air assault training and medical training with the 56th Rescue Squadron in the Vicenza area. This training focuses on the challenges of planning and executing rotary wing operations. Members of the community should plan to see two HH-60 black hawk helicopters flying in the Vicenza area to support this mission essential training.
About 173rd Airborne Brigade
The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapidly deployable forces to the U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility. Forward deployed across Italy and Germany, the brigade routinely trains alongside NATO allies and partners to build partnerships and strengthen the alliance.
About 56th Rescue Squadron
The 56th Rescue Squadron provides a rapidly-deployable, worldwide combat rescue and reaction force response. The squadron offers long-range rescue, humanitarian assistance, non-combatant evacuation and disaster relief capabilities for U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command and NATO in peacetime, contingency and wartime operations.
About SETAF-AF
SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.
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