When Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini met his American counterpart at the Pentagon on Friday, he likely came with a dossier full of proof that Italy is a reliable partner in defense for the United States and its allies. Since 2013, for instance, Italian commanders have spearheaded the Kosovo Force, a NATO mission to support Kosovo’s stability and overall peacekeeping in the Balkans.

Rome will also lead the new NATO mission in Iraq after taking over from Denmark next year. And in Afghanistan, Italy has been involved from the very beginning, taking shifts leading the Regional Command Capital in Kabul as well as overseeing the International Security Assistance Force and Resolute Support Mission for NATO in Herat (at the expense of great resources and human life).