During the 1900 Boxer Rebellion , a Mountain Artillery Battery was sent to China as part of the international relief force that lifted the siege of the International Compound in Beijing , and remained on garrison duty in Tianjin until the end of 1901 . On November 13 , 1902 , after a short period of experimentation with skis the Alpini began to form specially-equipped and trained Skiing Companies ( Italian : '' Compagnie Sciatori '' ) . After a heavy earthquake on September 8 , 1905 in the Calabria region ( Southern Italy ) , the Alpini deployed to the area for three months to assist in the clearance of debris and reconstruction efforts . They experienced a similar situation in 1908 , after the devastating Messina earthquake
Messina earthquake
1908 Messina earthquake
Alpini