General Vincenzo Camporini joined the Italian Air Force Academy in 1965 and progressed through every rank of his military career, ultimately serving as Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force (2006–2008) and Chief of Defence Staff (2008–2011).
He holds degrees in Aeronautical Sciences from the University of Naples Federico II and in International and Diplomatic Sciences from the University of Trieste. Alongside his military career, he has been actively engaged as a scholar and academic, focusing on contemporary international affairs, particularly the political and military dimensions of the European Union and the development of its capacity to employ military instruments in support of its external action. He also served as President of the Centre for Higher Defence Studies (2004–2006) and Vice President of the Istituto Affari Internazionali (2011–2019).