Giuseppe Valotto

Commander of KFOR

(KFOR Web site)

KFOR Commander Lieutenant General Giuseppe Valotto took up his post on 1 September 2005, succeeding Lieutenant General Yves de Kermabon. The Change of Command Ceremony was held at the KFOR headquarters in Pristina.

Valotto was born in 1946 in Venice, Italy. He attended the Italian Military Academy in Modena and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant of Cavalry in 1968. He holds a University Degree in Strategic Sciences.

Following the Basic and Advanced Courses of the Italian Army General Staff College (1980-81; 1984-85), Valotto was employed at the Italian Army General Staff - G1 Division (1985-1987).

Valotto’s command experience includes Commander of the 20th Tank Battalion "M.O. Pentimalli" in Legnano (1987-1989), Commander of the Turin Military District (1991-1992), Commander of the 132nd "Ariete" Armoured Brigade (March 1997- July 1999), Commander of the Multinational Brigade North in Sarajevo (October 1998-April 1999), Commander of the Italian Military Academy (1999-2001), and Deputy Commander of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in Rheindahlen, Germany, from 31 July 2001 to 16 July 2004.

In 2003, Valotto was conferred with the title of Commendatore by Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

From 24 July 2004 to 30 August 2005, he served as the head of the Personnel Department of the Army General Staff in Rome. He is the tenth commander of KFOR since its deployment to Kosovo.

Valotto is married with a son and a daughter.