General Portolano joined the Italian army in September 1981 and was assigned to various units within the Italian Army, primarily
Bersaglieri formations, and outside of Italy he commanded
United Nations forces in various countries. During his junior years as a lieutenant, Portolano was a Platoon and Company Commander in the
27th Bersaglieri Battalion "Jamiano". On 1990-1991, Portolano was deployed to the Iran-Iraq border and was part of the
United Nations Iran–Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIMOG) aimed to maintain the buffer zone within the Iran-Iraq border following a ceasefire deal between the two states. Following the aftermath of the
Gulf War, Portolano was part of the Italian Forces assigned to the
United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) in 1991. In 1997, Portolano was named as the commander of the
67th Bersaglieri Battalion "Fagarè" of the
18th Bersaglieri Regiment and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. During his stint as commander of the 67th Bersaglieri Battalion "Fagarè", Portolano was involved in NATO operations in Operation Joint Guarantor in
North Macedonia and Operation Joint Guardian in
Kosovo and assisted the Early Entry Forces of the Italian Contingent during the
Kosovo War. During his stint as commander of the UNIFIL, he commanded a total of 10,000 troops from 40 different countries and continued the initiatives in monitoring the situation within the Lebanese border and continued the cooperation between UN Forces and the
Lebanese Armed Forces. Portolano ended his service in Lebanon in July 2016. On September 2016, Portolano was named as the Chief of Staff, while subsequently serving as the Head of the European Union Command Element at the
Allied Joint Force Command Naples, and was later promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. Portolano would later be appointed as commander of the
Joint Operations Command on 2 September 2019, and initiated reforms and preparation upgrades for joint operations in the armed forces across a multitude of theaters within the modern battlefield. On 31 January 2020, Portolano also initiated operations and directions on the implementation of lockdowns and the declaration of state of emergency due to the effects of the
COVID-19 pandemic in the country. On 26 July 2021, then-Lieutenant General Portolano also upgraded and reorganized the name of the command from Joint Operations Command (Comando Operativo Interforze, COI) to Joint Summit Operations Command (Comando Operativo di Vertice Interforze, COVI) and elevated the command's position within the hierarchy of the armed forces due to its operational importance and its wide range of responsibilities. The development also led to the creation of the Commandant of the Command for Joint Operations, where Portolano served as its first commandant, and was later promoted to the rank of General. On 13 August 2021 to 31 August 2021, amidst the
Airlift evacuation in Afghanistan, Portolano led coordination efforts with the
Italian Air Force on the evacuation of Italian troops, diplomatic personnel, and civilians, and led to the deployment of 5
Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft and 4
Boeing KC-767A tanker/transport planes, as well as the various ground units to secure the evacuation. The operation led to the evacuation of 5,011 people from Afghanistan to Italy and was placed under the
Ministry of the Interior. On 29 September 2021, General Portolano was appointed as the Secretary General of Defence and National Armaments Director, where he initiated reforms on armaments policy and defense production. On 17 September 2024, Portolano was appointed by the
Council of Ministers as the new
Chief of the Defense Staff, and replaced Admiral
Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, who was named as the new
Chair of the NATO Military Committee. Portolano assumed the position as the Chief of Defense Staff on 4 October 2024. After his assumption to the post, Portolano emphasized the importance of preparedness and urgency in upgrading the
Italian Armed Forces against new threats in modern warfare, and on learning the lessons on the
Russian invasion of Ukraine. Portolano also called on the importance of enhancing partnerships with allies and partners across the region and enhance collaboration with foreign armed forces against potential Russian aggression. ==Awards and decorations==