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

The regiment's anniversary falls on 8 June 1916, the height of the Battle of Asiago, during which the regiment's Alpini Battalion "Morbegno" earned a Silver Medal of Military Valor for holding Monte Fior and Monte Castelgomberto with other Alpini battalions.

[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.

On 1 November 1886, 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 25 officers and 641 troops to help form the I and IV provisional Alpini battalions, which were deployed to Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War.

On 11-12 February 1912, a platoon of the battalion's 51st Company distinguished itself during the defense of the Italian position designated Ridotta Lombardia near Derna, which was held in hand-to-hand combat against Bedouin forces.

On 23 March 1913, the 8th Special Regiment fought in the Battle of Assaba against local rebel forces.

[5][6] For its conduct at Ridotta Lombardia and in the Battle of Bu Msafer the Alpini Battalion "Edolo", was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor, while the Alpini Battalion "Vestone" was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor for its conduct in the Battle of Assaba.

[3][5][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.

At the beginning of the war the 5th Alpini Regiment had formed the Autonomous Company "Garibaldi" with experienced skiers and climbers.

On 1 December 1923, the Gleno Dam collapsed and the regiment's Alpini Battalion "Tirano" was deployed to the affected area to search for survivors.

[6][8][25] In 1935-36 the regiment provided personnel for the formation of the 10th Supply Column, which was sent to Eritrea for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.

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.

[6][8] In November 1940, the 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" was transferred to Albania to shore up the crumbling Italian front during the Greco-Italian War.

The regiment retreated into Albania, where it continued to fight until the German invasion of Greece in April 1941.

The battalion was sent to Albania and attached on 25 March 1941 to the 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria", which at the time was fighting in the Greco-Italian War.

In preparation for the deployment to the Soviet Union the 5th Alpini Regiment's depot formed on 1 April 1942 the 82nd Cannons Company, which was equipped with 47/32 mod.

[6][8][29][30] In July 1942 the three alpine division arrived in Eastern Ukraine, from where they marched eastwards towards the Don river.

[6][8][28][29][31] On the evening of 17 January 1943, the Alpine Army Corps commander, General Gabriele Nasci, ordered a full retreat.

The 40,000-strong mass of stragglers — Alpini and Italians from other commands, plus German and Hungarians — followed the "Tridentina", which led the way westwards to the new Axis lines.

On the morning of 26 January 1943, the spearheads of the "Tridentina' reached the hamlet of Nikolayevka, occupied by the Soviet 48th Guards Rifle Division.

General Nasci ordered a frontal assault and at 9:30 am the Battle of Nikolayevka began with the 6th Alpini Regiment leading the first attack.

By noon the Italian forces had reached the outskirts of the village and the Alpine Army Corps' Chief of Staff General Giulio Martinat led the 5th Alpini Regiment forward for another assault, durich which General Martinat fell.

[31] By sunset the Alpini battalions were still struggling to break the Soviet lines and in a last effort to decide the battle before nightfall General Luigi Reverberi, the commanding General of the "Tridentina" division, ordered a human wave attack on the Soviet lines.

[6][8][28][29][31] On 11 February 1943, the survivors were counted and 2,871 men of the regiment had were listed as killed or missing, and another 1,258 wounded.

On 1 May 1951, the 6th Alpini Regiment joined the newly formed Alpine Brigade "Tridentina" and on the same day the IV Battalion, of the disbanded Alpine Recruits Training Center in Trento, joined the 6th Alpini Regiment and was renamed Recruits Training Battalion.

[6][33] After the end of the Cold War Italian Army began to draw down its forces and on 27 July 1991 the Alpine Brigade "Orobica" was disbanded.

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