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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.

Media: Italy RSS

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  • September 27, 2012

    USACE forward engineers train with Italians

    A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Forward Engineering Support Team-Advance (FEST-A) conducted training and remote engineering missions in partnership with Italian Army Reconnaissance Engineers here September 9-21, 2012.
  • September 21, 2012

    173rd Airborne Brigade, Italian carabinieri share training, experiences

    Noncommissioned officers from the rear detachment of U.S. Army Europe's 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team shared deployment experiences and lessons learned with Italian military law enforcement officers during cultural awareness and information operations training here, Sept. 11.
  • September 11, 2012

    USS Mount Whitney Remembers 9/11

    The crew of USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) and embarked U.S. 6th fleet staff gathered for a remembrance ceremony to honor those whose lives were lost during the terrorist attacks, Sept. 11.
  • September 5, 2012

    USS Mount Whitney Remembers Fallen Hero

    The U.S. 6th Fleet flagship, USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) held a memorial ceremony in honor of U.S. Navy Chaplain Lt. Vincent Capodanno at Piazza di Capodanno, Sept. 4.
  • July 14, 2012

    Mount Whitney Hosts Ship Tours in Homeport of Gaeta

    The U.S. 6th Fleet flagship, USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), welcomed more than 800 visitors while the ship was in their homeport of Gaeta, Italy, July 14.
  • July 12, 2012

    U.S. and Italian Midshipmen Visit Naples

    Four U.S. and two Italian midshipmen explored different aspects of maritime security in the Mediterranean, while in Naples, Italy, July 11.
  • July 4, 2012

    Mount Whitney Crew Join Italian Neighbors to Celebrate Independence Day

    Sailors from U.S. Sixth Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) joined civic leaders and military from Gaeta to commemorate American Independence Day with a flag-raising ceremony, July 4.
  • May 31, 2012

    US, NATO camp design concepts

    More than 50 students from six NATO countries attended a four-day engineering course, the week of May 15 at the Wiesbaden Entertainment Center, designed to teach the basic development, planning, execution, and closure processes of a base camp downrange.
  • May 31, 2012

    CSG 8 Holds Change of Command Ceremony

    Commander, Submarine Group Eight, and Commander Submarines, Allied Naval Forces South, held a change of command ceremony at Allied Maritime Command in Naples, Italy, May 31.
  • May 28, 2012

    Memorial Day Commemoration Held at Sicily-Rome Cemetery and Memorial

    Service members from Italy and the United States came together for a Memorial Day ceremony at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Nettuno, Italy, May 28.

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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.

Videos RSS

  • September 11, 2012

    Empowering to make a difference

    Servicemembers in Naples, Italy gather to observe the 11th anniversary of September 11, 2001. Seaman Apprentice Nicole VanderGriend takes us to the remembrance ceremony.
  • September 11, 2012

    Remember the past, but continue to look ahead

    September 11th is forever marked as a day that changed the course of world history. In Vicenza, Italy, a joint commemoration ceremony took place downtown. SGT Nick Lloyd has more.
  • July 18, 2012

    Bonjour, Ciao, and Hallo

    We have many partners in the war on terror. SGT Matthew O’Neill shows us how the NATO Rapid Deployment Corps, Italy, brought people from many of these nations together for a day of cultural displays and fun.
  • June 27, 2012

    Exercise puts Aviano Airmen to the test

    Being ready to respond to serious situations is all in a days work for these Airmen. SSgt Will Bracy takes a look at the talent that makes disaster response exercises as real as possible at Aviano Air Base, Italy.
  • May 30, 2012

    Project partnership

    When U.S. Airmen and Italian Soldiers join up for this 12-year tradition it’s always about the elements Mother Nature throws at them. SGT Jenn Casanova has the story.
  • May 29, 2012

    USACE Hosts NATO Troops for Base Camp Course

    More than 50 students from Germany, USA, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Greece attended the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Base Camp Development Planning Course at the Wiesbaden Entertainment Center in Germany, May 15-18. The course is designed to teach planning, location selection, land use, facility requirements development, general site planning, design guide and programming, maintaining, and clean up and closing of a base camp. In addition to base camp information, the course gave basic information about refugee camps.
  • May 28, 2012

    Memorial Day in Florence

    EUCOM Chief of Staff Maj Gen Mark Barrett discusses the importance of remembering Memorial Day with our European allies after the ceremony at Florence American Cemetery May 28, 2012.
  • 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.