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Italy

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Capital: Rome
Area: 301,340 sq km
Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona
Population (July 2011 estimate): 61,016,804
Official language: Italian
International Organizations and Agreements: European Union, United Nations, NATO, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade/World Trade Organization (GATT/WTO), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Council of Europe

The United States enjoys warm and friendly relations with Italy. Italy is a leading partner in counterterrorism efforts. The two are NATO allies and cooperate in the United Nations, in various regional organizations, and bilaterally for peace, prosperity, and security as well as combating drug trafficking, trafficking in women and children, and terrorism.

Italy firmly supports the United Nations and its international security activities. Italy led the UN mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and has actively participated in and deployed troops in support of UN peacekeeping missions in Somalia, Mozambique, and Timor-Leste. It has provided critical support for NATO and EU operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania, Georgia, and Chad. The Italian Government seeks to obtain consensus with other European countries on various defense and security issues within the EU as well as NATO. European integration and the development of common defense and security policies will continue to be of primary interest to Italy.

Under longstanding bilateral agreements flowing from NATO membership, Italy hosts important U.S. military forces at Vicenza and Livorno (Army); Aviano (Air Force); and Sigonella, Gaeta, and Naples -- home port for the U.S. Navy Sixth Fleet. The United States has about 11,500 military personnel stationed in Italy. Italy hosts the NATO Defense College in Rome. There is a Status of Forces Agreement in place as well as a plethora of other supporting agreements including Acquisition and Cross-Servicing, logistics, and training.

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  • May 16, 2012

    RAF Mildenhall hosts European Tanker Symposium

    The 100th Air Refueling Wing hosted the European Tanker Symposium here May 9 through 11with attendees from Royal Air Force 101 Sq., French air force "Bretagne" Sq., Italian air force 14 Wing, Belgium air component, and the 603rd Air and Operations Center, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
  • May 12, 2012

    PE12 Continues Multinational Training, Promotes Teamwork

    Sailors assigned to the guided-missile frigate USS Simpson participated in a multinational training exercise aboard the Hellenic navy training ship Aris at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Center in support of exercise Phoenix Express 2012 in Souda Bay, Crete, May 12.
  • May 7, 2012

    Phoenix Express 2012 Begins in Souda Bay

    Phoenix Express 2012 (PE12), a multi-national exercise between Southern European, North African and U.S. Naval forces, officially kicked off at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Training Center (NMIOTC) in Souda Bay, May 7.
  • March 22, 2012

    Joint training maintains pilots, loadmasters' proficiency

    The 37th Airlift Squadron completed a week-long airdrop training exercise with 10 container-deleviery-system drops at a drop zone near Grafenwoehr, Germany, March 16.
  • March 14, 2012

    McFaul Sailors Volunteer at Italian Orphanage

    Sailors from guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) volunteered at the Centro Laila Orphanage in Mondragone, Italy, during a port visit to Gaeta, Italy, Mar. 12.
  • March 13, 2012

    Army to field energy-saving systems to deploying BCT

    As part of the Army's Net Zero Operational Energy program, Soldiers from Europe's 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team learned to operate and maintain multiple hybrid-power management systems.
  • February 27, 2012

    This Week in EUCOM History: February 27 - March 4, 1991

    Ther Persian Gulf war officially ended on Feb. 28, 1991
  • February 24, 2012

    Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, Allied Joint Forces Command Naples Holds Change of Command

    Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), and commander, Allied Joint Forces Command Naples (JFC), held a change of command ceremony on Naval Support Activity Naples in Naples, Italy, Feb. 24, where Adm. Bruce W. Clingan relieved Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III.
  • February 13, 2012

    Proud Manta Holds Media Day

    Proud Manta 2012, NATO’s largest anti-submarine warfare, began with a media day in Augusta Bay, Feb. 13.
  • January 15, 2012

    Navy Aircrew Assists in At-Sea Rescue

    An aircrew assigned to Patrol Squadron 47, operating from Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, sprang into action to help rescue 68 people adrift on a powerless raft in the Mediterranean Sea, Jan. 15, more than 80 miles from the southwest coast of Malta.

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  • July 25, 2011

    Libya Update

    NATO is conducting operations over Libya to support UN resolutions 1970 and 1973, which call for establishing an arms embargo, instituting a "no-fly" zone, and protecting the civilian population of Libya. These missions are going reasonably well, particularly the no-fly zone and arms embargo which are both clear mission successes.
  • June 2, 2011

    The Most Important Week for EUCOM

    Here we are in the middle of what I believe is the most important week of the year for U.S. European Command.  On one end, a long weekend recently completed in honor of Memorial Day.  On the other end of this important stretch of days - D-Day.
  • May 11, 2011

    Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR Update

    Since NATO took over the Libyan mission at the end of March (see my earlierblog for a description of the mission), we have launchedalmost 6,000 total aircraft sorties.  Over 2,500 of them have been strikeand suppression of air defenses.  While the US provides about 25 percent ofthe support sorties (intelligence, refueling, surveillance, reconnaissance,suppression of enemy air defense), the rest of the coalition provides theremaining 75 percent.
  • May 4, 2011

    My speech notes from the Atlantic Council Awards dinner: Why NATO Matters …

    Thank you very much, Jim [Jones], for that extremely generous introduction. You could say between SACEUR 14 and SACEUR 16, you have the “long and the short” of it. Indeed, some would say the procession from Jim Jones, a towering figure, to my -- shall we say more compact -- frame, might indicate a diminishing of the Alliance, but I will try my best to look taller tonight.
  • February 16, 2011

    Cyber Defense is a Team Sport

    The theme of this conference was “Empowering a Cyber Defense Workforce" and included over one hundred participants with 40 partner cyber defenders from 18 countries, NATO, and other international organizations. The cheer squad came from USEUCOM's components, DoD agencies and industry.
  • June 28, 2010

    NATO chaplains work to be Stronger Together

    Military chaplains from Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Italy, and the U.S. comprised the group that met at the Italian Air Force (ITAF) Headquarters for the annual NATO Air Force Chaplains Conference in Rome from June 13-18.

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  • May 18, 2012

    European Tanker Symposium

    NATO forces must work together during global military conflicts and seamless integration isn’t possible without training and an exchange of ideas. Enter the European Tanker Symposium; where members of the Royal Air Force as well as Italian, French, and Belgian air forces talk shop to increase NATO’s Air Power. SSgt Lance Daigle reports.
  • April 10, 2012

    Navy aviators share skills with Italian air force academy cadets

    We head to Naples, Italy, where members of the Air Force are sharing their skills and experience with their counterparts from the Italian air force academy.
  • April 10, 2012

    U.S. Ambassador to Italy visits Dal Molin construction site

    The construction of a new military installation in Italy has caught the attention of one very special person. SPC Adam Dineen tells us more.
  • March 29, 2012

    Harbor Protection

    This isn’t your kid’s video game! SGT Tony Brazier takes us to the NATO Undersea Research Center in La Spezia, Italy, where gaming systems, and their consequences, are taken very seriously.
  • February 23, 2012

    Reserve Airmen train on fuel system

    Today more than ever it is important service members are able to work seamlessly with other nations, services and service components. SSgt Will Bracy gives one example of integration in a training environment at Aviano Air Base that prepares airmen to use equipment downrange.
  • February 23, 2012

    USAREUR commander vistis Vicenza military community

    USAREUR commander LTG Mark Hertling’s latest stop was in Vicenza, Italy, where SGT Jason Jones tells us he had some good news for the local community.
  • December 2, 2011

    Learning to respond to an aircraft emergency

    When U.S. F-16s are in the air over Italy, they often fly far from any ground support should they need to land. A1C Roman Weber tells us how Aviano fire safety officials are making sure pilots and aircraft are safe if they have to make an emergency landing away from home.
  • November 14, 2011

    Paying tribute to the Italian armed forces

    On November 4th, 1918, Austrian and Hungarian forces agreed to a cease-fire with Italy, thus ending WWI on the Italian front. Petty Officer David Charleston has more on a day that has been set aside to celebrate Italian forces, past and present.
  • October 26, 2011

    Simulating world war situations

    Realistic training is the key for airborne troops to accomplish every mission they set out on. SSgt Jason Armstrong tells us how Soldiers in Hohenfels, Germany, use a multinational exercise to sharpen the skills crucial to success.
  • October 25, 2011

    In the Footsteps of a Hero: The Joseph Brennan Story

    Joseph Brennan enlisted in the Army after his cousin, Sgt. Joshua Brennan was killed in action when his squad was ambushed on Oct. 25th, 2007 in the Korengal Valley of Kunar Province, Afghanistan. For his actions that day, fighting off the ambush and recovering the wounded Brennan from the clutches of Taliban fighters, then Spc. Salvatore Giunta was awarded the Medal of Honor. Ever since that tragic date, Joseph has followed in the footsteps of his cousin Joshua.

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