News from the Field: "Come Folgore Dal Cielo" – Like Lightning from the Sky
Captain Paolo Bonventre, U.S. Army
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of War, the U.S. Army, or the U.S. Government.
The Folgore Brigade
The Folgore (“Lightning” in Italian) Brigade is the only airborne brigade in the Italian Army. Uniquely, it falls directly under the Italian Army’s Land Forces Command (COMFOTER) – a three-star command – rather than a division, and acts as COMFOTER’s immediate response force. It has a structure similar to that of a U.S. Army infantry brigade combat team, with three key differences: 1) the unit immediately subordinate to the brigade is the regiment; 2) it owns the airborne and paratrooper advanced individual training schoolhouses; and 3) it is responsible for the production and publication of its own airborne doctrine.
Given a defense budget less than four percent of the United States,[1] limited training resources, and competing real-world requirements, one would assume that the Folgore Brigade lacks the ability to train its forces appropriately to meet national and international readiness requirements. In reality, the brigade has simply learned to maximize training opportunities by specializing in a handful of tasks. The Folgore has an identity rooted in offensive maneuver at the company level, decentralized planning, and mastery of radio communications. Folgore Brigade senior leaders expect subordinates to remain flexible, act on the commander’s intent, and seize the initiative, with little to no oversight.
“What exactly do you do?”
Currently, I work in the Training Section of the Folgore Training, Plans, and Operations Shop (G3). This section plans, coordinates, and oversees the brigade’s national and international training exercises and regularly interfaces with foreign militaries. The Folgore staff has thoroughly assimilated me, as an exchange officer in the Military Personnel Exchange Program (MPEP). Only the U.S. flag on my shoulder and my operational camouflage pattern fatigues, instead of the signature Italian vegetato, noticeably set me apart.
Working in the brigade headquarters has provided me the distinct opportunity to view many of the challenges Italy faces and see our profession through a different lens. It has also informed my views on the best way to serve the U.S. Army, NATO, and the Folgore Brigade as an exchange officer: building relationships, exchanging relevant experiences, and preparing oneself for the future.
Not a Liaison Officer
Various U.S. Army entities apparently see the exchange officer as a liaison officer, to try to use the exchange officer as the link between the host unit and that unit’s most frequent U.S. partners. I often face this tendency in the Folgore’s relationship with the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) (IBCT-A) in Vicenza. On the surface, this makes some sense: exchange officers bring the language skills—both colloquially and operationally—to make interactions between allied and U.S. formations easier.
However, U.S. units using exchange officers in the MPEP as liaison officers represents an ultimately self-defeating practice for at least two reasons. First, it almost guarantees that “interoperability” becomes a buzzword. The first reason derives from the second reason: it makes the exchange officer a single point of contact and, thus, a single point of failure. Interoperability fails when the default regresses to either “make the foreign guy talk to his people” or “give that American in our allied unit a call to make this work.” Interoperability succeeds when leaders in two formations know each other, and when their staffs understand each other’s systems. It succeeds when the crux of their relationship does not rely solely on one person.
This often creates the impression (to both American and allied service members) that the exchange officer will respond to any request for assistance with a “that’s not my job” and a swift redirection to another point of contact. In reality, a large percentage of international projects require technical, point-to-point coordination between personnel who understand their nation’s processes and procedures in depth. By connecting the right people, exchange officers make their biggest impact at this critical juncture and most directly achieve one of the key objectives of the MPEP: building partner capacity and relationships.[2]
In addition to the normal staff work (exercise planning, creating products, and leading working groups, for example) the exchange officer conducts for their host unit, host units can best leverage exchange officers by using exchange officers for their ability to clearly frame problems for decision-makers. Exchange officers set the foundation for allies to better understand each other’s organizations, identify points of friction, and permanently resolve issues that would otherwise continue to persist if reliant on an individual rather than a system.
This mutual understanding of systems between allies also underlines one of the biggest advantages of the MPEP: sharing best practices. An exchange officer does not serve as an adviser and does not seek to “improve” the host unit. However, by understanding that unit’s constraints, understanding which processes work, which do not, and why, the exchange officer can then determine whether or not the U.S. Army could adopt or adjust any of those processes to improve the U.S. Army. Exchange officers have a duty to introduce products or practices that could benefit the host unit; however, the exchange officer must remain cognizant that the host’s current systems very likely exist due to fiscal, cultural, and resource constraints. An exchange officer must first understand the context behind the host unit’s operations before trying to either improve them or export them to the U.S. Army.
Finally, exchange officers should use their assignment to prepare themselves for their next position. Most exchange officers perform their duties between notoriously labor- and time-intensive key developmental assignments. Exchange officers perform important, but not all-consuming, duties. This enables exchange officers to focus on their personal and professional development.
Professionally, exchange officers should take every opportunity to observe how their U.S. counterparts in the next grade or duty position operate. For me, this has primarily meant multiple touch points with field grade officers in the 173rd IBCT (A) and other exchange officers. Personally, it means taking time to prepare for the next leg of their career. I have used this time to focus on family time, personal interests, and in-depth physical recovery not always available during previous high-tempo assignments.
Being an exchange officer does not make one a particular unit’s “guy on the inside,” nor does it provide a shortcut for interoperability. When employed correctly, exchange officers build trust across formations and help partners better understand each other’s systems. Exchange officers increase, via subtle influence, the U.S. and the Alliance’s ability to conduct multinational operations, which could make all the difference in a future fight.
About the Author
Captain Bonventre graduated from Florida State University with degrees in Chinese and Asian studies and commissioned as an infantry officer in 2017. His first assignment was with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, KY, where he served as a platoon leader and company executive officer. After completing the Maneuver Captains Career Course at Fort Benning, GA, he was assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC, where he commanded an airborne rifle company. Since February 2024, CPT Bonventre has served as the U.S. Army’s Military Exchange Officer to the Italian Folgore Airborne Brigade.
End Notes
[1] North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Defence Expenditure of NATO Countries (2014–2024) (Brussels: NATO, June 2024), 7.
[2] U.S. Department of the Army, Army Military Personnel Exchange Program with Military Services of Other Nations, AR 614-10 (Washington, DC; Headquarters, Department of the Army, 2011), 3.