General Salvatore Farina

General Farina joined the Italian Military Academy in 1976. After finishing his Military Studies he commanded units at platoon and company level at the 33rd Electronic Warfare Battalion and 7th Signal Alpine Company from 1980 to 1989. Thereafter he served as a staff officer at NATO HQ Land South in Verona. In 1992 he attended the 26th British Army Staff College Course and was then appointed for a two-year tour as an Exchange Officer at 3rd (UK) Division HQ.

From 1995 to 1996 he was deployed to Bosnia as part of the NATO IFOR mission as a Signal Battalion Commander.

1996 to 1999 General Farina was appointed as the chief of the Joint Operations Centre at the Italian Ministry of Defence. There he was a key stakeholder in the planning and execution of the Italian contribution to the operations: SFOR, Joint Guarantor, Joint Guardian, KFOR, ALBA in Albania, INTERFET in East Timor. From 2000 to 2001 he was commander of 1st Signal Regiment supporting NRDC-ITA transformation as NATO High Readiness Forces HQ.

General Farina’s next appointment saw him assume the position of chief army plans, in the rank of Colonel, where he was responsible for capability and development.  The following three years brought a move to London where he served as Italy’s military attaché to the United Kingdom.

From 2007 to 2008 he was appointed commander of the Italian Signal Brigade.

In 2009 General Farina commenced another tour in the Italian Ministry of Defence being deputy and then chief of the Strategic Military Policy and Planning Division, Policy and Capability Director of  the Defence Staff.  During this period he was also the chairman of the European Defence Agency Capability Steering Board.

General Farina’s next appointment, from September 2013, saw him command the NATO Operation “Joint Enterprise”, in Kosovo, for one year.

Returning to Rome General Farina served first as chief of Land Transformation for the Italian Army; and then, from May 2015, as chairman of the Steering Committee for the Implementation of the Italian Defence White Book. He assumed command of JFC Brunssum on March 4, 2016.

General Farina holds three University degrees in electrical engineering, strategy, and international relations. His decorations include: Knight of the Military Order of Italy; Officer of the French National Order of Merit; USA Legion of Merit; and the NATO Meritorious Service Medal.