During the Cold War, military life within the Alpini consisted of duties, daily hardships, and a wide variety of roles. Each assignment—from mule driver to pioneer, from mortarman to instructor—helped keep a complex system functioning, in which discipline, esprit de corps, and adaptability were essential.
Through firsthand accounts, this section illustrates the diversity of roles within Alpini units: a mosaic of experiences combining the strength of tradition with the evolution of a modern army.
Mule driver:
a companion in hardship
In Tolmezzo, Silvano Castellarin was assigned to an ancient and essential role: that of mule driver.
His service companion was mule number 22, known as Uccio. He was responsible for the animal’s daily care—cleaning it, saddling it, and leading it during marches.
This was not a risk-free assignment: a sudden kick fractured his ulna, an incident that remains a reminder of the unavoidable coexistence with the strength and unpredictability of these animals.
Mules were tasked with carrying heavy loads: the components of a 107 mm mortar—base plate, barrel, and firing mechanism—each weighing around one quintal. Without them, mountain artillery would have been unable to operate in mountainous terrain.
Mortarmen high up in the mountains
From mule drivers to mortarmen: the next step is described by Elio Ropelato, squad leader in a 120 mm mortar company.
Transporting the components—the barrel, base plate, and bipod—required constant rotation among the six members of the squad, especially during demanding ascents such as that on Mount Rest.
Training culminated at the firing school on Jôf di Montasio, using live ammunition. After months of dry exercises, the experience of seeing a 120 mm round rise into the sky and strike its target was unforgettable.Equally crucial was the task of checking for unexploded ordnance. Despite the hardship of long marches and heavy loads, Ropelato recalls the experience with pleasure, eased by moments of freedom spent in the mountains of Friuli.
Pioneers: laying and clearing mines
The role of the pioneer was among the most delicate and hazardous. Paolo Marinuzzi recalls training in the use of explosives: from smoke devices employed in the initial phases to dynamite, handled during live exercises in his capacity as an instructor officer.
The task was clear: to lay mines, clear minefields, open breaches, and demolish obstacles. In mountainous terrain, it could sometimes seem unlikely to envisage armoured warfare scenarios, yet preparation remained essential. Caution, precision, and awareness of risk were integral parts of the mission.
A view from the ranks
The experience of Renato Colussi, an enlisted Alpino, offers a concrete perspective on the work of the pioneers. His assignment consisted of clearing minefields using the Bangalore torpedo or TNT charges.
Operations were always carried out in pairs: one soldier handled the fuse and detonator, the other the explosive. The fuse, sensitive and fragile, required extreme care.
The procedure was precise: ignite the fuse, count to nine, lie flat on one’s back with the rifle beside, wait for the explosion, and then open the passage for the assault troops.
On one occasion, a fuse that appeared to have gone out detonated suddenly: a fragment wounded him near the eye. Despite the blood and the shock, Colussi chose to continue, demonstrating the esprit de corps that held units together even in the most dangerous moments.
Between aspirations and reality
Fabio Tamburin arrived in Chiusaforte expecting to become an “alpiere”, a specialty usually assigned to those with climbing and skiing experience. Instead of facing ascents and high-altitude training, he found himself dealing with the routine of a storekeeper.
What initially appeared to be a marginal role changed when, with the arrival of a new intake of recruits, a need arose for an instructor for the advanced recruit training course. When no one volunteered, Tamburin stepped forward and became a Corporal Instructor.
This assignment proved engaging, offering new responsibilities and allowing him to experience military service in an active and motivating role.
A special assignment
A very different path was followed by Piero Pastorello, who served as a researcher at the Military Centre for Strategic Studies in Rome. Far removed from the mountains and barracks life, his experience demonstrates how conscription could also open the way to intellectual and analytical roles, contributing to strategic reflection during the Cold War.
A mosaic of assignments
From pack trains with mules to mortarmen, from pioneers handling explosives to storekeepers turned instructors, and finally to research and analytical roles, the collected testimonies form a varied picture of military life within the Alpini.
Each role, differing in responsibility and risk, was essential to the functioning of the unit. Ancient traditions and modern assignments coexisted within an army that, even in a period of armed peace, prepared itself for every eventuality.
