training



 
 
 
IMG 5203 Copia Copia

Join the European Paratroopers Association, become part of the world's most exclusive military parachutist organization.

LEARN MORE
 
 
Airborne School 21

Take part in the absolute best airborne training available on the European Continent and qualify as military parachutist.

LEARN MORE
 

Director

Airborne School Director

DIRECTOR2 Copia

 

Giulio Festa assumed duties as Director of the European Paratroopers Airborne School (EP-ABN SCH), in June 2016 after spending years as Director of the Airborne Training Center. In this function, he is responsible for the coordination of the activities of the School including planning and training as well as administrative concerns. He is also currently serving as the President of the European Paratroopers Association (EPA) and as the C-in-C of the European Volunteers Corps (EVC). 

 

Festa has over 25 years of both active duty and reserve career with the Italian Armed Forces. He is a graduate of the Army’s Airborne School and he had the privilege and honour to serve with the 2nd Battalion, 187th Parachute Regiment, Airborne Brigade "Folgore", one of the most prestigious and combat-experienced units in the Italian Army. He also served with other elite units of the regular army, as the 1st Battalion, 1st Grenadiers Regiment, Mechanized Infantry Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" and the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 19th Cavalry Regiment, Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi", as well as with auxiliary forces as the 10th Military Mobilization Center, IRC Military Corps. He has participated in different homeland security (counterterrorism) and peacekeeping operations like DOMINO and ISAF. As an Italian Army NCO he has served in a variety of troop assignments. From 1992 to 2006, he served as an Operational Paratrooper, Infantry Rifleman Squad Leader, Cavalry Scout Squad Leader and Drill Instructor, in this position he has served with the Italian Army Recruit Training Center of the infamous 84th "Venezia" Training Battalion, that was one of the toughest training units dedicated to train infantrymen for service in the Army. He then worked his way up from being a NCO to an Officer in his nation's Armed Forces and in 2007 he was appointed as Lieutenant and served mostly as a Training Officer at the Training and Operations Office of the IRC Military Inspectorate. In the same year, he joined the LOF Volunteer Reserve, reaching the rank of Commissioner. He is actually a Captain and was head of an arduous training programme within a unit placed at Very High Readiness (VHR), from 2008 to 2012 he was assigned at the Combat Training Program (Overseas Deployment) for ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) mission in Afghanistan, as well as he was responsible for coordination, development, and implementation of training plans for the Auxiliary Military Units deployed in Afghanistan for the NATO-led security mission.

 

Festa's background as a military instructor spans more than two decades, he is a military instructor with years of experience. Being both an accomplished Airborne and Combat instructor he has conducted airborne and special operations training course in Italy but also with multiple foriegn countries, and has been training several military and police units of different nations in various theaters around the world ranging from the Est Europe and North Africa to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

 

As part of his lengthy military background he has received specialized training to include, but not limited to, Airborne, Combat Marksmanship, Close Quarter Battle, Urban Warfare, Counter-terrorism, Personal Security Detail, Combat Medic and multiple special operations training courses, and participated in training operations and joint exercises with airborne and special forces units of the NATO and friend countries such as, the Special Operation Command Europe (SOCEUR) and Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA), the Echo Company 51st INF (LRS)(ABN), the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team "Sky Soldiers", the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) of the US Army, the military police Feldjägerbataillon 750, the airborne units Luftlandebrigade 26 "Saarland" and Luftlandebrigade 31 “Oldenburg“ of the German Army Special Operations Division, the Para-Commando Brigade of the Belgian Armed Forces, the Rapid Reaction Brigade (Brigada de Reacção Rápida) of the Portuguese Army, the Counter-Terrorist (Spetsnaz) Unit “Omega” of the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior and more.

 

Festa’s awards and decorations include different national and foreign medals, airborne wings and military qualification badges. Among his awards and decorations are the Italian Army Afghanistan Medal and Homeland Security Medal (2 Bronze Stars), the NATO Non-Article 5 (ISAF) Medal, the US Army Commendation Medal and Achievement Medal, the Internal Troops of Ukraine Cooperation Medal, the Austrian BKFR Honor Cross (Gold), the Royal Dutch LPE Cross for Marching Proficiency. The Italian Military Parachutist Badge, the US Army Master Parachutist Badge, the German Military Parachutist Badge (Gold), the Belgian Military Parachutist (A) Badge, the Portuguese Military Parachutist Badge. The Ukrainian Ministry of Interior Spetsnaz Qualification Insignia, the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency (Leistungsabzeichen) in Gold and Lanyard for Weapons Proficiency (Schützenschnur) in Gold, the Belgian Defense Forces Badge for Military Sport and different other military awards and decorations.

 

Train With Us!

Any serving or retired paratrooper (airborne and special force military personnel), serving or retired members of the Armed Forces, as well as any other serving or retired uniformed service personnel and members of veterans organizations can become members of the European Paratroopers Association and take part in our airborne training courses and parachute jump exercises. Join Us today and train with the absolute best airborne training organization available on the European Continent! Information on the application process of the European Paratroopers Association can be found on the membership page.