9th Parachute Assault Regiment The 9º Reggimento d ' Assalto Paracadutisti ( 9th Parachutist Assault Regiment ) ( " Moschin Pass " ) is a Special Forces unit of the current Italian Army — in part due to its distinguished history , but also due to the arduous training which members must undertake . Training takes no less than two years for long - term members , and five months for short - term volunteers ( with 1 – 2 years total military service ) . Roughly equivalent in number , tasking and quality to the world - famous British Army SAS , the 9th — or " " as it is known in Italian military circles — is capable of operating in all environments . The roughly 150 members train in mountainous , wooded , desert , and amphibious terrain . The 9th ' s speciality is operating independently of outside support and far from friendly lines . From 2004 , " " is integrated inside the ( C . O . F . S . ) , Italy ' s special operations command . History . The origins of the 9th Parachutist Assault Regiment can be found in the World War I . Among its precursors is the IX Reparto d ' Assalto ( " 9th Assault Section " ) , known as the Arditi ( ' Brave or Bold / Tough Ones ' - but the verb " ardire " or " to dare " suggests " The Daring " as a more proper translation ) , who were often tasked with preempting infantry assaults on the Italo - Austrian front lines ( which is currently the border between Italy and Slovenia ) . It was during this period that the 9th earned its reputation as a fierce fighting force . ' Going over the top ' , followed by the launch of hand - grenade s deep into enemy territory , was commonplace . The 9th was responsible for the capture of numerous Austrian positions on " Monte Grappa " , including " Col Moschin " , and the " Col della Beretta " . The inter - war years saw the demise of the 9th Section , and a similar unit was not reestablished until 20 July 1942 , when World War II was in full swing . Dubbed the X Reggimento " Arditi " ( ' 10th Regiment ' " The Bold " ) , they conducted patrols in Tunisia ; and occupied Sicily , and Algeria under the orders of Duce . After 8 September 1943 — the surrender of Italy to the Allies — the 1st Battalion of the 10th Regiment spent the next few years fighting its way up the Italian Peninsula in the Italian War of Liberation . Disbanded in 1946 , the 9th was reassembled as a company - level unit at the Cesano Infantry School in 1953 . On 1 June 1954 , the unit became the Reparto Sabotatori Paracadutisti ( ' Saboteur Parachute Section ' ) , and in 1961 , it mutated once more into the Battaglione Sabotatori Paracadutisti ( ' Saboteur Parachute Battalion ' ) . Fourteen years later , it received the standard of the " X Reggimento " Arditi " " , and became the 9º Battaglione d ' Assalto Paracadutisti " Col Moschin " ( ' 9th Parachute Assault Battalion ' " Peak Moschin " . In June , 1995 the unit expanded into a Regiment . In 2004 , it was integrated into the COFSI - ( " Operational Command for Special Operations Forces " ) . As part of the " Brigata Paracadutisti " Folgore " " ( ' Parachutist Brigade ' " Thunderbolt " ) — which distinguished itself in World War II by defending of Italian positions in North Africa so heroically that Winston Churchill dubbed them ' as fierce as lions ' — the 9th Regiment has engaged in numerous post - World War II exploits . As part of the peace treaty signed by Italy following World War II , Italy could not deploy armed forces outside of Italy for 25 years , except , of course , for the destruction of Nazi Germany and her allies . This restriction expired in 1970 , but circumstances did not call upon Italian military participation in foreign missions until 1982 . Since that time , the 9th has been engaged throughout the world . Composition . The 9th Parachute Assault Regiment " " Col Moschin " " is part of the Italian Army ' s Folgore Parachute Brigade , which is part of the 1st Defence Forces Command — composed of the front - line units of the new professional Italian Army . The 9th itself is made up of the following subunits " RAFOS " - " Reparto Addestramento Forze per Operazioni Speciali " ( Section for Special Operations Forces Training )