The 9th Paratroopers Assault Regiment "Col Moschin" () is a Special Forces unit of the Italian Army based in Livorno in Tuscany. The regiment is part of the Italian Army's infantry arm's Paracadutisti speciality and assigned to the Army Special Forces Command for training, preparation, doctrinal and procedural development, and the materiel acquisition. Operationally the regiment falls under the Italian Armed Forces' Joint Special Forces Operations Command. The regiment is the only military unit which has participated in all out-of-area missions of the Italian Army since World War II. The regiment is also the only Italian Army unit to have been awarded the Military Order of Italy thrice.
During World War I the Royal Italian Army formed assault units manned by Arditi troops to storm enemy trenches in close combat. One of these units was the IX Assault Unit, which distinguished itself during the Second Battle of the Piave River by retaking the summit of Col Moschin, and during the preparations for the Battle of Vittorio Veneto by taking the summit of Col della Beretta. For these actions the IX Assault Unit was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor and, together with all other Royal Italian Army infantry units, a Military Order of Italy. After the war the IX Assault Unit was disbanded. In 1942, during World War II, the Royal Italian Army formed the 10th Arditi Regiment, whose personnel operated behind allies lines in North Africa. In September 1943, after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile the regiment's I Arditi Battalion, which was based in Sardinia and undertook reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and sabotage missions in allied held Algeria and Tunisia, joined the Italian Co-belligerent Army. In March 1944, the I Arditi Battalion was renamed IX Assault Unit and one month later, in April 1944, the unit entered the front on the allied side. The IX Assault Unit fought in Italian campaign and was awarded two Silver Medals of Military Valor for its conduct during the campaign. After the war the IX Assault Unit was disbanded.
- Assault Unit
On 15 June 1918, the Austro-Hungarian Army began the Second Battle of the Piave River along the Piave river and on the Monte Grappa massif. In the latter sector the Austro-Hungarian forces managed to occupy part of the Italian first line during the first day of the battle. On 16 June, the IX Assault Unit was ordered to retake the Italian positions on the summit of Col Moschin, which had been lost the day before on. The IX Assault Unit retook the position in a lightning attack and held the summit until Italian infantry could be brought up.
On 24 September 1944, the IX Assault Unit entered the 68th Infantry Regiment "Legnano" as III Battalion "Col Moschin". The battalion was equipped with British weapons and materiel and consisted of approximately 400 men divided into a command company, three assault companies, and a support weapons company. The 68th Infantry Regiment "Legnano" was assigned to the Combat Group "Legnano", which entered the front on 23 March 1945 as part of the IV US Corps on the river Idice. The Combat Group "Legnano" fought in the allied Spring Offensive and took part in the Battle of Bologna. For its conduct in these battles the III Battalion "Col Moschin" was awarded the unit's third Silver Medal of Military Valor.
- 30px 9th Paratroopers Assault Battalion "Col Moschin", in Pisa
- Command and Services Company
- Command and Services Platoon
- Amphibious Platoon
- Transport Platoon
- Assault Company (Recruits Training)
- Command and Services Platoon
- 2× Recruits platoons
- 2× Assault companies
- 6× Operational detachments per company
At the time the battalion fielded 340 men (36 officers, 196 non-commissioned officers, and 108 soldiers).
From September 1982 to November 1983, personnel of the battalion formed, together with personnel drawn from the 1st Carabinieri Paratroopers Battalion "Tuscania" and 2nd Paratroopers Battalion "Tarquinia", a provisional battalion, which deployed with the Italian contingent to Lebanon in support of the Multinational Force in Lebanon.
- 30px 9th Paratroopers Assault Regiment "Col Moschin", at Camp Darby