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MAJOR GENERAL GIOVANNI PIETRO BARBANO DIRECTOR, CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR STABILITY POLICE UNITS (COESPU) |
Major General Giovanni Pietro Barbano attended the Italian Military Academy in Modena from 1980 to 1982 and the Carabinieri Officers School from 1982 to 1984. He graduated in Nuclear, Bacteriological, and Chemical Defense from the Joint N.B.C. Defense School in Rome in 1985. In 1996-1997, he attended the Junior Staff College and the Legal Advisor Course for the Italian Armed Forces at the Italian Army War School in Civitavecchia and the Carabinieri Officers School in Rome. In 1998-1999, he attended the Joint Senior Staff College at the Italian Defense Centre for Advanced Studies in Rome after passing a competitive selection process. In 2016, he graduated from the 67th Session of the Institute for Advanced Studies for Defense at the same Centre.
Since he was commissioned, MG Barbano has held various command and staff positions, both in Italy and abroad. From 1984 to 1990, he served as a Platoon Leader and then as a Company Commander for the 1st Carabinieri Paratroopers Battalion “TUSCANIA” in Livorno. From 1990 to 1994, he commanded the Carabinieri Precinct Company in Castelvetrano (Sicily), and from 1994 to 1997, he commanded an equal unit in Riccione (Emilia Romagna), where he oversaw policing activities for law and order enforcement within their jurisdictions. From September 1995 until March 1996, he served as Deputy Chief of Operations for the Western European Union Police Mission in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1997-1998, he commanded the Emergency Response Department of the Carabinieri Provincial Command in Naples.
In 1999, MG Barbano was chosen as Chief of Plans & Military Police Section within the Operations Office at the Carabinieri General HQs, where he was responsible for planning and coordinating Carabinieri deployment to peace operations conducted under the aegis of the UN, NATO, OSCE, EU, and other International Organizations. During this period, he was a member of the EU Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM) and of the NATO MP Panel (SHAPE). As a Lieutenant Colonel in 2002-2004, he commanded the Carabinieri Provincial Command in Bergamo. In 2004-2005, he actively contributed to the establishment of the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) in Vicenza. Later, as a Colonel in 2005-2007, he acted as the first Chief of Staff of the co-located European Gendarmerie Force Permanent HQ (EUROGENDFOR).
In 2007-2008, MG Barbano deployed again to BiH as Commanding Officer of the Integrated Police Unit Regiment within the European Union Force (EUFOR “ALTHEA”), which constituted the first EUROGENDFOR mission ever deployed. Upon his redeployment, he was posted as the Commander of the Carabinieri Provincial Command, Trapani (Sicily), to enforce law and order, fight serious native and transnational organized crime, and counter trafficking of drugs and human beings. Then, in 2011-2012, he served as the Chief of Staff of the Carabinieri Officers School in Rome, and in 2012-2013, he was the Director of the Institute for Professional and Juridical-Military Studies within the same School. After these assignments, still in the rank of Colonel, he was selected as the Molise Regional Commander, a position normally held by Brigadier or Major Generals. In 2014-2015, Barbano was promoted Brigadier General and directed the Carabinieri National Administration Centre in Chieti.
In his current capacity as Director of the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units, he served as the President of the European Association of Peace Operations Training Centers (EAPTC) in 2016 and as Chair of the Police Board within the Executive Committee of the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centers from 2018 to 2022.
MG Barbano holds two Bachelor's Degrees in Political Science and in International and Diplomatic Sciences, respectively, from the Universities of Siena and Trieste. He also holds a Master's Degree in Internal and External Security Science from the University of "Tor Vergata" in Rome. In addition, he has obtained Master of Arts Degrees in International Strategic-Military Studies from the University of Milan and in Strategic Science from the University of Turin. In 2016, he earned a Master of Arts in Global Strategy and Security from the University "La Sapienza" of Rome.
Among many other national and international honours and decorations, MG Barbano was awarded the Legion of Merit, Degree of Officer, by the President of the United States of America in 2019. In 2022, the President of the Italian Republic bestowed him the Knight Cross of the Ordine Militare d’Italia, the highest award attainable in Italy.
MG Barbano is professionally fluent in English and Spanish.
He is married to Mrs. Rosa Anna and has a daughter, Federica.
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