Multinational Specialized Unit
KFOR-MSU Coat of Arms, 2013.
Active1998-present
Country Italy
Allegiance NATO
Branch Carabinieri
TypeGendarmerie
RoleMilitary missions abroad
SizeRegiment
various sizes
Part ofCarabinieri Mobile Units Division
SFOR
KFOR
MNF-I
Nickname(s)MSU
Motto(s)Una vis
(One strength)
Nei Secoli Fedele
(Faithful throughout the centuries)
ColorsBlue, red and black.
MarchLa Fedelissima (The Ever Faithful)
by Luigi Cirenei
Anniversaries5 June, Carabinieri Day
Military operationsOperation Joint Endeavour;
Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Operation Allied Harbour;
Operation Ancient Babylon;
Operation Joint Guardian;
Operation Joint Enterprise
WebsiteCarabinieri.it
Commanders
Commander of KFOR-MSUCol. Stefano Fedele
Noteworthy commandersCol. Ruggiero Capodivento
KFOR-MSU Logo, 2013.

The Multinational Specialized Unit (MSU), is a unit of the Italian Carabinieri, dedicated to the military missions abroad, including the military and civilian police tasks, peacekeeping operations, crowd and riot control.[1]

After its creation in 1998, MSU units took part in many different NATO operations, in Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia Herzegovina and Iraq.

History

KFOR-MSU Carabinieri with two RG-12 during a crowd and riot control exercise in Kosovo.(2019).

Initially it has employed members of the 7th Carabinieri Regiment "Trentino-Alto Adige", the 13th Carabinieri Regiment "Friuli-Venezia Giulia" and the 1st Parachute Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania". During the next years it has employed members from all over Italy, from every other Carabinieri units.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The first mission where MSU was involved was the NATO-SFOR, in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars. MSU was composed by Italian Carabinieri and members of the Romanian Military Police, among soldiers of Austria, Hungary and Slovenia.[2]

Albania

After the tension in the Balkan area, during the Yugoslav Wars, in particular in the northern part of Kosovo a MSU detachment was deployed in Albania during Operation Allied Harbor, to aid the country in the refugees management. The mission was codenamed AFOR.[3]

Iraq

Romanian Military Policeman, member of MSU, in Iraq. (2003).

During the NATO Mission, inside the Multi-National Force – Iraq, MSU was deployed alongside other Italians units. The Italian Mission codename was Operation Ancient Babylon. MSU was composed by Italian Carabinieri, Italian Army liaison officers, members of Romanian Military Police and Portuguese National Republican Guard. During the mission MSU suffered heavy losses, in particular for the 2003 Nasiriyah bombing.[4]

MSU-IRAQ Commanders

  • Col. Georg Di Pauli (June-november 2003)
  • Col. Carmelo Burgio (november 2003-march 2004)
  • Col. Luciano Zubani (2004)
  • Col. Claudio D'Angelo (2004)
  • Col. Paolo Nardone (2004-2005)
  • Col. Sebastiano Comitini (2005-2006)
  • ...

Kosovo

Carabinieri KFOR-MSU patrol in Mitrovica, Kosovo. (2018).
Austrian MSU Pandur I near the Ibar Bridge, in Mitrovica, Kosovo. (2011).

Since 1999, after the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, MSU has been deployed into Kosovo for peacekeeping operations within NATO-KFOR. After years it's still present in the theatre, contributing to maintain peace and stability in the country.[1]

KFOR-MSU Carabinieri patrols, in front of the Ibar Bridge, in Mitrovica, Kosovo. (2019).

From 1999 to 2013 the French National Gendarmerie, Estonian Military Police and Austrian Military Police were also part of the MSU. Since 2013 it is composed entirely of the Italian Carabinieri and its main mission is to patrol the entire city of Mitrovica 24/7, in particular the Ibar Bridge.[5]

Since 2022 a unit of Army of the Czech Republic Military Police is part of the MSU regiment.

The KFOR-MSU Regiment is commanded by Italian Carabinieri brigadier general Ruggiero Capodivento.[6][7][8]

KFOR-MSU Commanders

Commanders list
PrecedenceCommanderPortraitStart of tenureEnd of tenure
1Col. Vincenzo Coppola, ITAJuly 22, 1999July 18, 2000
2Col. Leonardo Leso, ITAJuly 19, 2000April 23, 2001
3Col. Emanuele Garelli, ITAApril 24, 2001May 3, 2002
4Col. Georg Di Pauli, ITAMay 4, 2002June 9, 2003
5Col. Claudio Cordella, ITAJune 10, 2003July 22, 2004
6Col. Giuseppe Lanzillotti, ITAJuly 23, 2004July 28, 2005
7Col. Flavio Garello, ITAJuly 29, 2005August 23, 2006
8Col. Domenico Libertini, ITAAugust 24, 2006August 26, 2007
9Col. Andrea Guglielmi, ITAAugust 27, 2007September 10, 2008
10Col. Angelo De Quarto, ITASeptember 11, 2008September 8, 2009
11Col. Gianni Massimo Cuneo, ITASeptember 9, 2009September 8, 2010
12Col. Eduardo Russo, ITASeptember 9, 2010September 8, 2011
13Col. Mauro Isidori, ITASeptember 9, 2011December 1, 2012
14Col. Mario Di Iulio, ITADecember 2, 2012December 7, 2013
15Col. Gregorio De Marco, ITADecember 8, 2013February 11, 2015
16Col. Francesco Maria Chiaravallotti, ITAFebruary 12, 2015October 13, 2015
17Col. Paolo Coletta, ITAOctober 14, 2015October 13, 2016
18Col. Fabio Cagnazzo, ITAOctober 14, 2016September 11, 2017
19Col. Marco DI Stefano, ITASeptember 12, 2017September 14, 2018
20Col. Ruggiero Capodivento, ITASeptember 15, 2018October 16, 2019
21Col. Paolo Pelosi, ITAOctober 17, 2019...
22Col. Enio Simone, ITA......
23Col. Stefano Fedele, ITAFebruary 02, 2021January 27, 2022[9]
24Col. Maurizio Mele, ITAJanuary 28, 2022January 26, 2023
25Col. Massimo Cucchini, ITAJanuary 26, 2023February 7, 2023
26Gen. B. Ruggiero Capodivento, ITAFebruary 8, 2022present

KFOR-MSU Vehicles

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "KFOR | MSU". jfcnaples.nato.int.
  2. ↑ "NATO/SFOR Informer: MULTINATIONAL SPECIALIZED UNIT".
  3. ↑ "Albania". www.carabinieri.it.
  4. ↑ "Ministero della Difesa - Iraq: Esplosione a Nassyria presso il Comando MSU dell'Arma dei Carabinieri". www.difesa.it.
  5. ↑ Santora, Marc (30 January 2018). "New York Times (USA) In Kosovo, a Peace Built on Separation". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  6. ↑ "KFOR | MSU Commander". jfcnaples.nato.int.
  7. ↑ "KFOR | MSU Change of Command". jfcnaples.nato.int.
  8. ↑ "CARABINIERI: PROMOSSO GENERALE CAPODIVENTO (MSU KOSOVO)". www.osservatorelibero.it (in Italian). Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Kfor - MSU Com 2021
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