8th Transport Regiment "Casilina"

The 8th Transport Regiment "Casilina" (8° Reggimento Trasporti "Casilina") is a military logistics regiment of the Italian Army based in Rome. The regiment is operationally assigned to the Army Logistic Command and provides the transport between operational units and the logistic command's maintenance centers. Like all transport units of the Italian Army the regiment was named for a historic road near its base: in the 8th regiment's case for the medieval Via Casilina. The regimental anniversary falls, as for all units of the Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Italian Army's first major automobile use to transport reinforcements to counter the Austro-Hungarian Offensive at Asiago in 1916.

History
In August 1920 the VII Automobilistic Center was formed in Rome and assigned to the VII Army Corps. In 1923 the center was disbanded and its personnel and materiel used to form the VII Auto Grouping, which consisted of a command, an auto group, a railway group, and a depot. On 31 October 1926 the grouping was disbanded and the next day its personnel and vehicles were used to from the 8th Automobilistic Center in Rome. The center consisted of a command, the VIII Automobilistic Group, and a depot. The three companies of the disbanded railway group were assigned to the 1st Field Artillery Regiment, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, and 13th Field Artillery Regiment, while the railway section based in Sardinia was assigned to the 16th Field Artillery Regiment. The auto section based in Sardinia, was reorganized as 23rd Automobilistic Company and assigned to the 12th Automobilistic Center in Cagliari.

In 1935-36 the center mobilized for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War an advanced workshop group, six auto units, and an automobilistic vehicles park workshop. The center also provided 81 officers, 100 non-commissioned officers, and 2,045 soldiers to other units.

On 1 July 1942 the unit was renamed 8th Drivers Regiment. The regiment was disbanded by invading German forces after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943.

During World War II the center mobilized in its depots in Rome and Terni among others the following units:


 * 4th Army Auto Grouping Command
 * 7th Army Auto Grouping Command (deployed with the 8th Army to the Eastern Front)
 * 10th Army Auto Grouping Command (deployed with the 8th Army to the Eastern Front)
 * 11th Heavy Auto Group
 * 18th Heavy Auto Group
 * 43rd Mixed Auto Group
 * 53rd Autobus Auto Group
 * 123rd Heavy Auto Group
 * 10th Roadside Assistance Unit
 * 12th Roadside Assistance Unit
 * 52nd Auto Workshop
 * 128th Auto Workshop
 * 58th Heavy Mobile Workshop

On 17 February 1947 the 8th Drivers Center was formed in Rome, which consisted of a command, the 8th Auto Unit, the 8th Vehicles Park, a fuel depot, and a depot. The center supported the VIII Territorial Military Command of the Central Military Region. On 1 March 1949 the 8th Vehicles Park was transferred to the 8th Automotive Repair Shop. The unit was tasked with the transport of fuel, ammunition, and materiel between the military region's depots and the logistic supply points of the army's divisions and brigades. On 31 December 1964 the 8th Drivers Center was disbanded and the 8th Auto Unit became autonomous. The next day the unit was assigned to the VIII Territorial Military Command.

As part of the 1975 army reform the unit was renamed 8th Mixed Maneuver Auto Unit.

On 30 October 1984 the 8th Mixed Maneuver Auto Unit was reorganized as 8th Transport Battalion "Casilina". Like all Italian Army transport units the battalion was named for a historic road near its base, in case of the 8th Transport Battalion for the medieval Via Casilina. On 13 July 1987 the President of the Italian Republic Francesco Cossiga granted the battalion a new flag and assigned the traditions of the 8th Drivers Regiment to the battalion. At the time the battalion consisted of a command, a command and services company, a mixed transport company, and a special transports company.

On 30 June 1998 the 8th Transport Battalion "Casilina" lost its autonomy and the next day the battalion entered the newly formed 8th Transport Regiment "Casilina".

Organization
As of 2023 the 8th Transport Regiment "Casilina" consists of:


 * CoA mil ITA rgt trasporti 08.png Regimental Command, in Rome
 * Command and Logistic Support Company
 * Transport Battalion
 * Mixed Transport Company
 * Heavy Transport Company
 * Maintenance Company