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

[7][8][9] During World War I the regiment expanded to ten battalions, which fought separately in the alpine areas of the Italian front.

For its service and sacrifice on the Eastern Front the 8th Alpini Regiment was awarded a second Gold Medal of Military Valor.

The regiment's anniversary falls on 24 May 1915, the first day of the war on the Italian front, on which the regiment's Alpini battalions "Tolmezzo" and "Val Tagliamento" earned a shared Silver Medal of Military Valor for having taken and held the summits of Pal Piccolo, Freikofel and Pal Grande.

For its conduct in the Battle of Assaba and its conduct in the Battle of Ettangi the Alpini Battalion "Tolmezzo", was awarded two Silver Medals of Military Valor, which were affixed to the flag of the 8th Alpini Regiment and added to the regiment's coat of arms.

[6][8][9] 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.

On 31 December 1935, the 7th Alpini Regiment was transferred to the newly formed 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria".

In 1935-36 the regiment provided nine officers and 525 troops 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 was in Albania and fielded 160 officers and 5,046 other ranks for a total strength of 5,206 men.

On 10 November, the "Julia" division was taken out of the line, but only four days later it had to return to the front in the Berat sector, where it came under heavy Greek attacks until 8 December.

[9][10] In April 1941, following the German invasion and Axis occupation of Greece, the division was transferred to the Corinth Canal area and occupied the Peloponnese.

[23] For its service and sacrifice on the Greek front between 28 October 1940 and 23 April 1941 the 8th Alpini Regiment was awarded a Gold Medal of Military Valor.

[1][6][9][10] Separately the Alpini battalions "Val Fella" and "Val Tagliamento", which had been attached to the "Julia" division, were awarded a shared Silver Medal of Military Valor for their service and conduct on the Greek Front between 14 November 1940 and 23 April 1941.

Similarly the Alpini Battalion "Val Natisone" was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor for its service on the Greek Front.

[6][9][10] In December 1941, the regiment formed the XVI Replacements Battalion, which was assigned to the 7th Alpini Valley Group, which fought Yugoslav partisans in Croatia.

The corps was assigned to the Italian 8th Army, which was readied to be deployed in summer 1942 to the Eastern Front.

In preparation for the deployment to the Soviet Union the 8th Alpini Regiment's depot formed on 1 April 1942 the 41st Cannons Company, which was equipped with 47/32 mod.

The division provided replacement troops for the 8th Army's regiments fighting on the Eastern Front.

In the night from 28 to 29 March 1942, the troop ship "Galilea", which carried the Alpini Battalion "Gemona" from Greece to Southern Italy, was torpedoed and sunk South off the island of Paxos in the Ionian Sea by the Royal Navy submarine HMS Proteus.

[9][10] In July 1942 the three alpine division arrived in Eastern Ukraine, from where they marched eastwards towards the Don river.

[9][10][24][25][27] 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 by nightfall the troops of the "Tridentina" division had managed to break through the Soviet lines.

The 8th Alpini Regiment was still in the process of rebuilding its battalions, when the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943.

On 30 September 1975, the 8th Alpini Regiment was disbanded and the next day its battalions became autonomous units and were assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia", which now included the following Alpini battalions:[8][9][10] After the reform the battalions "Gemona", "Tolmezzo", "Cividale", and "L'Aquila" consisted of a command, a command and services company, three Alpini companies, and a heavy mortar company with eight 120mm Mod.

Between November 1993 and April 1994 the 8th Alpini Regiment served with the United Nations Operation in Mozambique.

[10] From November 2005 to March 2006, the regiment led the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Herat in Afghanistan.

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