USAG Italy

USAG Italy covers Vicenza, where the 173rd Airborne ('Sky Soldiers') jump out of perfectly good airplanes and into Italian aperitivo hour with the kind of tonal whiplash that only the U.S. Army in Europe can provide. Morning jump, afternoon Aperol Spritz — the duality of Sky Soldier life. Venice is an hour away, the Dolomites are your weekend playground with skiing that makes Colorado jealous, and the food will permanently and irreversibly ruin every DFAC for the rest of your career. You will eat carbonara made by a nonna who learned from her nonna and you will never, ever recover. Italian bureaucracy will make you miss Army paperwork, which is the most damning thing you can say about any country's administrative system. The espresso is so good that returning to stateside DFAC coffee will trigger something your VA counselor isn't prepared for. Verona has Romeo and Juliet's balcony and Lake Garda has vibes that belong in a cologne commercial. You will gain weight. It will be the best weight you've ever gained. Every PCS after Italy feels like a punishment, and you'll become the person who says 'well, in Italy...' at every dinner for the rest of your life.