2nd Pontieri Engineer Regiment

2nd Pontieri Engineer Regiment
2° Reggimento Genio Pontieri
Regimental coat of arms
Active	1 Jan. 1883 — 8 Sept. 1943 15 Dec. 1949 — today
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Role	Combat engineers
Part of	Engineer Command
Garrison/HQ	Piacenza
Motto(s)	"Per ogni ponte una superba sfida"
Anniversaries	24 June 1918 - Second Battle of the Piave River
Decorations	2× Bronze Medals of Military Valor 1× Silver Medal of Civil Valor 1× Gold Cross of Army Merit[1]
Insignia
Pontieri gorget patches

The 2nd Pontieri Engineer Regiment (Italian: 2° Reggimento Genio Pontieri) is a military engineering regiment of the Italian Army based in Piacenza in the Emilia Romagna. The regiment is assigned to the army's Engineer Command and the Italian Army's only unit focusing on operational level water crossings. The term "Pontieri" comes from the Italian word for bridge (Italian: Ponte) and is used to denote units of the Italian Army's engineer arm tasked with the construction and repair of bridges. Enlisted personnel in such units is addressed by the singular form: "Pontiere". The regiment was formed in 1883 as an engineer regiment, which united all Pontieri companies of the Royal Italian Army. During World War I the regiment formed battalions and companies, which operated along the Italian Front. In 1933, the regiment was split into the 1st Pontieri Regiment (Light Bridges) and 2nd Pontieri Regiment (Heavy Bridges). During World War II the regiment formed battalions and smaller units, which were deployed on all fronts. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943, the regiment was disbanded by invading German forces. In 1949, the regiment was reformed and has been active since.^[2][3][4] The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all engineer units, on 24 June 1918, the last day of the Second Battle of the Piave River.^[2]