Graziano, Claudio

Claudio Graziano attended a training course at the Military Academy of Modena from 1972 to 1974, and then transferred to a practical school in Turin , where he studied from 1974 to 1976, receiving a bachelor of science in military-strategic field ^[1] .

His first appointment in 1976 was the post of commander of a rifle platoon of the Alpine battalion “Susa” in Pinerolo , then in 1977 he became deputy commander of a defensive company of the alpine brigade “Taurinense”, with which he participated in exercises in Denmark and Norway . Since 1980, he was the commander of a mortar company, and then the Trento alpine battalion, which was part of the Trentin alpine brigade. In 1983, he was appointed commander of a cadet company of a military alpine school, which he commanded until 1986 ^[1] .

After undergoing training at headquarters courses, which he completed in 1987, he was transferred to the army, where he was appointed to the post of officer of the headquarters support. Major since 1988. In 1990, he studied at the high command school, after which he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. After the school, he was appointed to the post of head of the secretariat office of the chief of staff of the Italian army ^[1] .

In 1992, he was appointed commander of the Alpine Alpine battalion Suza, with whom he participated in the UN mission in Mozambique. At the end of 1993, Graziano was appointed head of the department in the office of the chief of staff of the army. He became a colonel in 1996, at the same time he was appointed commander of the 2nd Alpine Regiment, then returned to the General Staff as head of the planning department. In 2001, Colonel Graziano became a military attache at the Italian Embassy in Washington, where he received the rank of Brigadier General on January 1, 2002 ^[1] .

After returning to Italy on August 27, 2004, he took over the command of the Alpine Taurinense brigade, holding this position until March 2, 2006. March 15, 2006 he was appointed head of the operational department of the general operational command of the defense. Since July 20, 2005, the commander of the multinational brigade "Kabul" in Afghanistan , in the operational responsibility zone of which was the entire province of Kabul . He commanded the brigade until February 6, 2006, was promoted to major general on January 1, 2006. On 29 January 2007, the Secretary-General of the United Nations appointed him Force Commander and Chief of Mission of UNIFIL in Lebanon , as well as entrusting him with curfews. He held this post for three years, receiving January 1, 2010 the title of General of the Corps. February 10, 2010 was appointed chief of staff of the Minister of Defense Ignazio La Russa ^[1] .

On October 14, 2011, he was appointed chief of staff of the Italian army ^[2] and officially took office on December 6 ^[3] .

On November 7, 2017, he was appointed the new head of the EU Military Committee (the position will take over from November 2018, when he ceases to perform the duties of chief of the Italian General Staff).

General Claudio Graziano is also a military ski instructor. He was trained, in addition to military education in Italy, at a military school in the United States Army from 1996 to 1997. In Italy, he completed his first degree in international and diplomatic sciences at the University of Trieste and in the field of social sciences at the Augustinian Academy in Rome , where he also received a master's degree in strategic sciences ^[4] .

He lives in Rome with his wife Marisa Lanucara ^[4] .

Italian

• Great Officer of the Military Order of Italy (August 2, 2010) ^[5]
• Cavalier of the Military Order of Italy (June 8, 2007) ^[6]
• Cavalier of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for the Italian Republic (November 24, 2011) ^{[7] [8]}
• Silver Cross for Merit to the Army (May 12, 1995) ^[7]
• Mauritian Medal of Merit for 10 Five Years of Impeccable Military Career
• Medal of Merit for the long-standing command in the army (20 years)
• Golden cross for length of service (40 years of service)
• Memorial Cross Operations in Afghanistan
• Memorial cross of peacekeeping missions abroad (4 or more missions)
• Medal of Honor Defense Parts

Foreign

• Legion of Honor Officer ( France )
• Gold Medal of Merit for the Defense (French General Staff)
• Medal of Merit to the German Army during a Peacekeeping Mission in Afghanistan
• Commander of the National Order of Cedar ( Lebanon )
• NATO Commemorative Medal Article 5 Active Endeavor
• Cross of Merit for Defense during Peacekeeping Operations ( Norway )
• Medal “In the Service of the World” UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon)
• ONUMOZ Medal “For Peace” (UN operations in Mozambique )
• Bronze medal of the Polish Army
• 1st Class Medal of the Order of Infanta don Enrique ( Portugal )
• Legion of Honor Officer ( USA )