Colonel Francesco ERRICO was born on 16 August 1976 and grew up close to Bari, Italy.

He joined the Italian Army in 1992, being selected for the attendance of the Military School "Nunziatella", in Naples.

In 1995 he joined the Military Academy in Modena and in 1997, when he was commissioned as Infantry Officer, the Italian Army Officers' School in Turin.

In 2000, Col. ERRICO was posted to the 1st ABN Battalion/183rd ABN Regiment "Nembo" in Pistoia where he served as Junior Leader (Platoon Commander, Company EXO and Company Commander) until 2007.

Lately, in 2017 he was appointed as 5th/186th ABN Battalion "El Alamein" CO.

He assumed the command of 183rd Airborne Regiment "Nembo" on 12 July 2024.

As a Staff Officer, from 2007 to 2011 Col. ERRICO served within S3 branch of 183rd Airborne Regiment "Nembo"; from 2011 to 2014 within Force Development and Planning Office of Italian Army Staff, in Rome. Then, he was appointed SO2 within Policy Section, J5 Plans and Policy, Operations Division of NATO Rapid Deployable Corps - Italy Headquarters (NRDC-ITA HQ), in Solbiate Olona close to Milan, Italy.

From 2015 to 2017, Colonel ERRICO served a 2-year tour of duty at the European Union Liaison and Planning Cell (EULPC), European Union Delegation to Libya, relocated in Tunis (Tunisia) as Operational and Strategic-planning Officer and, once appointed Lieutenant-Colonel, as Coordinator of the EULPC.

In 2018, Col. ERRICO was posted in Livorno (Italy) as Chief of Operations (G3), Planning (G5) and Training (G7)

Branch of Folgore Airborne Brigade.

As Junior Leader, from 2001 to 2003, he was deployed in the Balkans (three tours) as Platoon Commander and Company EXO in the framework of NATO KFOR Mission. Then, in 2005 as Captain, he was deployed to Karthoum, Sudan, as Company Commander operating in the Sudanese capital within the framework of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS). In 2008, in the aftermath of the Russian-Georgian War, Col. ERRICO was deployed to Zugdidi (Georgia) as Monitoring team leader and Deputy Chief of Military/Police section within the Field Office in the framework of European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM-Georgia). From 2008 to 2013, Col.

ERRICO served multiple tours in Afghanistan within Regional Command West (RC-W) of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), mainly as S3 Air and S3 Plans in Task Force North (Herat in 2009 and Bala Mourghab in 2011).

As Senior Officer, in 2021 Col. ERRICO was deployed again to Afghanistan as J3 Chief, Training, Advise and Assist Command West (TAAC-W) in Herat, Resolute Support (RS) Mission and in 2023 he was deployed to Lebanon as G3 - Chief of Operations (COO) of Combined Joint Task Force Lebanon Sector West (CJTF-SW), United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

As Colonel, in 2024, Col. ERRICO was the Chief of Staff of the Brigade-level, Folgore-led formation deployed to Rome for Homeland-Security operation.

Col, ERRICO's awards and decorations include:

- Bronze Medal for Airborne activity;

- Golden Service Medal;

- Medal of Long Command;

- Commemorative Medal for Safeguarding of free Institution and Maintenance of Public Order;

- U.S. Army Achievement Medal;

- UN commemorative medals for Sudan and Lebanon;

- NATO commemorative medals for Kosovo and Afghanistan;

- EU commemorative medal for Monitoring Mission in Georgia;

- Italian commemorative medals for Kosovo, Albania, Georgia and Afghanistan.

He owns bachelor degree in Political Sciences, Course in International Studies (University of Turin). He also earned Post-graduate Master's Degree in International Military Strategic Studies (University of Rome).

He is a graduate of the Italian Command and Staff College (2010) and the Italian Joint Services Staff College (2014).

Colonel ERRICO is married to Mrs. Mariella and they have one son, Vito.