The 80th Regiment "Roma" (Italian: 80° Reggimento "Roma") is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Monte Romano in Lazio. The regiment is named for the city of Rome and was part of the Italian Army's infantry arm until 2004, when it became a training unit and was redesignated as a "multi-arms unit" and designated 80th Volunteer Training Regiment "Roma".[3][4] In December 2023 the regiment became a training support unit at the Monte Romano training range with the new name 80th Regiment "Roma".[5][6]
The regiment was one of sixteen infantry regiments formed on 1 November 1884. During World War I the regiment fought on the Italian front. The regiment was disbanded in 1926 and reformed in May 1937. During World War II the regiment was assigned to the 9th Infantry Division "Pasubio", with which it participated in the invasion of Yugoslavia. In July 1941 the Pasubio division was assigned to the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia and the regiment fought in Donbas in Ukraine and along the Don river in southern Russia. In December 1942 the division and regiment were destroyed during the Soviet Operation Little Saturn. For its conduct in Ukraine and Russia the regiment was awarded two times Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor. In 1958 the regiment was reformed as a training unit, which was reduced to a battalion sized unit at the end of 1975. In 1992 the regiment was reformed and was active as the training unit of the Non-Commissioned Officers School until 2023.[4][6]
History
Formation
On 1 November 1884 the 80th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Roma") was formed in Rome with companies ceded by the 6th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Aosta"), 8th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Cuneo"), 38th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Ravenna"), 44th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Forlì"), and 74th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Lombardia"). On the same day the 79th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Roma") was formed in Rome with companies ceded by the sister regiments of the above listed regiments. Both regiments consisted of a staff and three battalions, with four companies per battalion. Together the two regiments formed the Brigade "Rome".[4][7]
In 1895-96 the regiment provided three officers and 118 enlisted for units deployed to Italian Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War.[7] In 1911-12 the regiment provided 17 officers and 1,452 enlisted to augment units fighting in the Italo-Turkish War.[4]
On 31 October 1926 the 80th Infantry Regiment was disbanded and its two battalions transferred to the 231st Infantry Regiment "Avellino" and 232nd Infantry Regiment "Avellino". On 20 December of the same year the 79th Infantry Regiment was renamed 79th Infantry Regiment "Roma", while the Brigade "Roma" was renamed IX Infantry Brigade and assigned to the 9th Territorial Division of Verona. The IX Infantry Brigade also included the 49th Infantry Regiment "Parma" and 57th Infantry Regiment "Abruzzi".[4][9][10][11][12]
In April 1943 the survivors of the division returned to Italy, where the division was rebuilt. At the end of June 1943 the Pasubio division was sent to Campania, where the division was disbanded by invading German forces after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943.[1][4][10]
Cold War
On 1 July 1958 the 80th Infantry Regiment "Roma" was reformed in Orvieto as recruits training center. The regiment consisted of a command, a command company, and three battalions based in Orvieto, Sora, and Cassino.[1][4]
During the 1975 army reform the Italian Army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted for the first time their own flags. On 31 December 1975 the 80th Infantry Regiment "Roma" was disbanded and the next day the regiment's III Battalion in Cassino was renamed 80th Infantry Battalion "Roma" and assigned the flag and traditions of the 80th Infantry Regiment "Roma".[4][16] On the same day the regiment's I Battalion in Sora was renamed 57th Motorized Infantry Battalion "Abruzzi" and the regiment's II Battalion in Orvieto was renamed 3rd Grenadiers Battalion "Guardie".[1][4] The battalion was assigned to the Central Military Region and consisted of a command, a command platoon, and three recruits training companies.[4]
Recent times
On 22 March 1991 the battalion was transferred to the Non-Commissioned Officers School. On 24 September 1992 the 80th Infantry Battalion "Roma" lost its autonomy and the next day the battalion entered the reformed 80th Regiment "Roma", which continued the training duties of the battalion.[1][4] In 2004 the regiment was renamed 80th Volunteer Training Regiment "Roma". In December 2023 the regiment became a training support unit based in Monte Romano with the new name 80th Regiment "Roma".[5]
Organization
As of 2023 the 80th Regiment "Roma" consists of:[17]