The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense".

[4][5][6] During World War I the regiment expanded to 13 battalions, which fought separately in the alpine areas of the Italian front.

[5][6] In 1935 the regiment was assigned to the 1st Alpine Division "Taurinense", with which it served during World War II in the invasion of France.

In 1942 the division was transferred to Montenegro, where it served on occupation duty until the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943.

[4][5][6] On 15 October 1872, the Royal Italian Army formed 15 locally recruited Alpini companies in the alpine regions of Northern Italy.

Upon entering the regiments, the battalions, which until then had been designated by a Roman numeral, were named for their recruiting zone, while the Alpini companies were renumbered sequentially from 1st to 72nd.

[5][6][7] In the night of 18-19 August 1883, the Battalion "Val Stura" helped extinguish a fire that threatened to engulf the village of Bersezio.

For this the battalion was awarded a Bronze Medal of Civil Valor, which was affixed to the flag of the 3rd Alpini Regiment.

[5][6][7] In 1886 the regiment moved from Savigliano to Turin and on 1 November of the same year, the battalions changed their names from their recruiting zones to the cities and towns, where their base was located.

In 1895-96 the regiment provided 16 officers and 574 troops to help form the II provisional Alpini battalions, which was deployed to Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War.

On 4 May 1912, the Alpini Battalion "Fenestrelle" was part of the Italian forces, which landed in Kalithea Bay on Rhodes in the Aegean Sea.

The battalion participated in the Battle of Rhodes, which led to the Italian occupation of the Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea.

[6] At the outbreak of World War I the Alpini speciality consisted of eight regiments, which fielded 26 battalions with 79 companies.

After Italy's initial declaration of neutrality 38 additional Alpini companies were formed during the autumn of 1914 with men, who had completed their military service in the preceding four years.

The same month the 3rd Alpini Regiment formed the 614th Company, which consisted of volunteers and was assigned to the VII Replacements Battalion.

The VII Replacements Battalion was attached to 7th Alpini Regiment and shipped to East Africa, where in the meantime the "Pusteria" was engaged in combat against Ethiopian troops.

On 10 June 1940, the day Italy entered World War II, the regiment fielded 160 officers and 5,046 other ranks for a total strength of 5,206 men.

As part of the invasion the Alpini Battalion "Val Dora" attacked French positions on the Col de Pelouse on 21-24 June 1940.

Following the German invasion and Axis occupation of Greece, the "Julia" division was transferred to the Corinth Canal area and occupied the Peloponnese.

Both battalions were assigned to the 175th Coastal Alpini Regiment, which was sent in April 1943 to the occupied French island of Corsica.

In November 1943, the 175th Coastal Alpini Regiment was transferred to Sardinia, where the battalion "Monte Albergian" was disbanded on 31 August 1944.

[6][8] When the Armistice of Cassibile was announced 287 Alpini were waiting in Bari in Apulia to be shipped to Montenegro as replacements for the "Taurinense" division.

[6][8] For its conduct in September 1943 in Corsica, and its service with the Italian Liberation Corps in the Italian Campaign the Alpini Battalion "Monte Granero" was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor, which was affixed to the 3rd Alpini Regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms.

The same year, the Alpini Battalion "Susa" was designated as the Italian Army's contribution to NATO's air-transportable Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (Land).

[6][27] From April to July 1991, the Alpini Battalion "Susa" deployed to northern Iraq for the American-led Operation Provide Comfort.

Between 2 March and 22 October 1993 the Alpini Battalion "Susa" served with the United Nations Operation in Mozambique.

For its service in Mozambique the "Susa" battalion was awarded a Gold Cross of Army Merit, which was affixed to the regiment's flag.

[3][5][6][8] Between 3 February and 28 June 1997, and between 18 August and 14 October 1998 the 3rd Alpini Battalion Regiment was part of NATO's Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

From 3 September 2002 to 18 January 2003, the regiment deployed with NATO's International Security Assistance Force for the first time to Afghanistan.

The maneuver support company is equipped with 120 mm mortars and Spike MR anti-tank guided missiles.