SOLBIATE OLONA (VA), 30 June 2011. A change of command ceremony was held today at Ugo Mara Barracks, Solbiate Olona when Lieutenant General Gian Marco Chiarini, Commander of the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps in Italy (NRDC-ITA), handed over command to Lieutenant General Giorgio Battisti.
Officers, NCOs and soldiers from NRDC-ITA and the NRDC-ITA Support Brigade participated in the change of command ceremony, with all of the 15 nations that contribute to NRDC-ITA being represented on the parade. The ceremony was also attended by regional, provincial and city Labara, Ganfalons and Veterans Associations including Lombardia, Milano, Varese, Busto Arsizio and Solbiate Olona.
The ceremony followed traditional Italian military protocol and was presided over by Lieutenant General Giuseppe Valotto, Chief of the Italian Army General Staff. During the ceremony General Chairini addressed those participating before passing the NRDC-ITA flag to General Battisti, the traditional military way to symbolise a change in command.
General Charini, an Italian Tank Corps officer, has commanded NRDC-ITA for three years since assuming command on 27 August 2008. Under General Chiarini’s command NRDC-ITA has conducted numerous operational and training activities including a deployment to Afghanistan in 2009 (January-July) when over 200 staff personnel from NRDC-ITA contributed to the manning of the ISAF HQ in Kabul. Recently the Headquarters has conducted three major exercises and has been the NATO High Readiness from January-June 2011. General Chiarini will assume the role of the Italian Military Representative for the EU and NATO in Brussels during September 2011.
Prior to assuming command of NRDC-ITA Lieutenant General Giorgio Battisti was the Chief of Staff of the Land Forces Command in Verona. He assumes command at a busy time as NRDC-ITA personnel begin their final preparations for a major exercise in October 2011. In 2012 NRDC-ITA will beginning training in preparation for the headquarters providing the staff for the ISAF Intermediate Joint Command (IJC) in Afghanistan during 2013.
