Gorizia Mechanized Brigade

The Gorizia Mechanized Brigade was an mechanized brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were mechanized infantry battalions. The brigades headquarter was in the city of Gorizia. All the brigades units where based in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The brigades name was chosen in memory of the World War I Battle of Gorizia. The brigades sister brigade the Vittorio Veneto Armored Brigade was named to commemorate the World War I Battle of Vittorio Veneto.

History
The brigade was activated during a major reorganization of the Italian Army: in 1975 the regiment level was abolished and battalions came under direct command of newly formed brigades, which combined units from different arms. On 20 October 1975 the Gorizia Mechanized Brigade was activated along with the Vittorio Veneto Armored Brigade from disbanded regiments of the Folgore Mechanized Division. The Gorizia took command of the 82nd Infantry Regiment Torino and the 183rd Infantry Regiment Nembo. The Folgore division also received the Trieste Mechanized Brigade in Bologna.

The Folgore Mechanized Division was part of the 5th Army Corps based in North-Eastern Italy. The 5th Army Corps was tasked with defending the Italian-Yugoslavian border against possible attacks by either the Warsaw Pact, or Yugoslavia or both. The Gorizia brigade’s duty was to defended the city of Gorizia. The two position infantry battalions were tasked to man and hold the fixed positions of the Alpine Wall. The brigades strength was around 5,000 men and it was composed by the following units:


 * Gorizia Command and Signal Battalion, in Gorizia
 * CoA mil ITA rgt carri 002.png 22nd Tank Battalion M.O. Piccinini, in San Vito al Tagliamento, (Leopard 1 Main battle tanks)
 * CoA mil ITA rgt fanteria 033.png 33rd Position Infantry Battalion Ardenza, in Fogliano Redipuglia (transferred in 1986 to the Vittorio Veneto Armored Brigade)
 * CoA mil ITA rgt fanteria 041.png 41st Mechanized Infantry Battalion Modena, in Villa Vicentina, (VCC-2 Armoured personnel carriers)
 * CoA mil ITA rgt fanteria 063.png 63rd Position Infantry Battalion Cagliari, in San Lorenzo Isontino
 * CoA mil ITA rgt fanteria 082.png 82nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion Torino, in Cormons, (VCC-2 Armoured personnel carriers)
 * CoA mil ITA rgt paracadutisti 183.png 183rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion Nembo, in Gradisca d'Isonzo, (VCC-2 Armoured personnel carriers)
 * CoA mil ITA gr artiglieria 046.png 46th Self-propelled Field Artillery Group Trento, in Gradisca d'Isonzo, (M109 Self-propelled howitzers)
 * CoA mil ITA btg logistico gorizia.png Gorizia Logistic Battalion, in Gradisca d'Isonzo
 * Gorizia Anti-tank Company, in Gorizia
 * Gorizia Engineer Company, in Cormons

On 31 October 1986 the Italian Army abolished the divisional level and brigades, that until then had been under one of the Armys four divisions, came forthwith under direct command of the Armys 3rd and 5th Army Corps. The Gorizia along with the Vittorio Veneto came under the 5th Army Corps, while the Trieste was transferred to the 3rd Army Corps.

After the end of the Cold War the Italian Army began to draw down its forces and the Gorizia received units from disbanded brigades and the 183rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion Nembo was transferred to the Folgore Parachute Brigade. At the same time for traditional reasons the battalions were renamed as regiments without changing composition or strength. For the last year of its life the brigades was composed by the following units:


 * Gorizia Command and Tactical Support Battalion, in Gorizia
 * CoA mil ITA rgt carri 002.png 2nd Tank Regiment, in San Vito al Tagliamento, (Leopard 1A2 Main battle tanks)
 * CoA mil ITA rgt fanteria 041.png 41st Mechanized Infantry Regiment Modena, in Gradisca d'Isonzo, (VCC-2 Armoured personnel carriers)
 * CoA mil ITA rgt fanteria 082.png 82nd Mechanized Infantry Regiment Torino, in Cormons, (VCC-2 Armoured personnel carriers)
 * CoA mil ITA rgt artiglieria 184.png 184th Self-propelled Field Artillery Group Nembo, in Gradisca d'Isonzo, (M109L Self-propelled howitzers)
 * CoA mil ITA btg logistico gorizia.png Gorizia Logistic Battalion, in Gradisca d'Isonzo

On 30 September 1995 the 41st Infantry Regiment was disbanded. On 30 October 1996 the brigade was disbanded with the rest of its units. Only the 82nd Infantry Regiment remained and passed to the Mantova Mechanized Brigade.