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SOLBIATE OLONA (VA), 13 JAN 2005. After six months spent on stand-by role, ready to be deployed within only five days notice, next 14 January NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Italy will end its tour of duty as Land Component Command for the third rotation of the NATO Response Force (NRF 3).

It has been an intense period characterized by a real Land Component commanding a real Brigade composed of 3 Battle Groups, Combat Support and Combat Service Support that achieved the Initial Operational Capability (IOC) last October during Exercise Destined Glory conducted in Sardinia with all the other NRF components.

This period was for sure of great benefit for all the Land Component units and commands as it strengthened their capabilities to use new procedures for a new range of missions with a very high readiness status.

But this NRF rotation was not just training and exercises, as one of its battle group, the Susa Alpini battalion, proved to be ready for an operational task when he was successfully deployed to Afghanistan in support to the Presidential election as in Theatre Reserve Force last September 2004.

All the experience gained and the goals achieved during the third rotation of the NATO Response Force will contribute to the NRF development process and the achievement of the Full Operational Capability in 2006. NATO Rapid Deployable Corps –Italy will follow closely, ready to assume again the Land Component Command role for NRF 9 in July 2007.