Seville hosts the delivery of the Spanish Army Awards

Performance of the 2nd Brigade Choir

Attendees at the Spanish Army Awards gala

Speech by the Chief Executive Officer during the gala

The ceremony for the 58th edition of the Spanish Army Awards brought together more than 1,000 people, civilians and soldiers, in Seville on June the 17th, in a ceremony that was chaired by the Secretary of State for Defense Esperanza Casteleiro accompanied by the Chief of the Army Staff (JEME by its Spanish abbreviation), General Francisco J. Varela, and which could be followed live through the Spanish Army's YouTube channel. In the Plaza de España of the Andalusian capital - next to the Army Land Forces Headquarters (Cuartel General Fuerza Terrestre del Ejército de Tierra or FUTER by its Spanish abbreviation) - and upholding all security measures due to the pandemic, the awards corresponding to the disciplines of painting, drawing, military miniatures, photography, school teaching, research in humanities and social sciences, and video. Special distinction went to the "Tercio de Extranjeros" Foundation, in recognition of its constant support to the Spanish Army and, mainly, to its principles inspired by the values of companionship, loyalty and solidarity with those former legionaries who are in a situation of special need. On this occasion, all the participating works had to be related to the centenary of the Legion or to the Melilla campaign of 1921. These were also the two themes that marked the development of the gala, with various performances by the FUTER’s group “Música del Cuartel General”, the War Band (la Banda de Guerra) and the 2nd Legion King Alfonso 13th Brigade Choir (el Coro de la Brigada “Rey Alfonso XIII” II de la Legión), the Andalusian Flamenco Ballet (el Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía) and the singer Joana Jiménez. To close, the Chief of the Army Staff referred to these awards as "the meeting point between the Spanish Army and society", and recognized all the participants, especially the youngest: "We want to transmit values through culture and transmit them to young people and to all the Spanish peoples”, he explained. Finally, Army General Varela recalled that the values transmitted by the heroes of the Melilla campaign are "those that the Spanish people treasure and the Army cultivates." The winning and selected works can be visited from June the 21st to July the 21st at the Seville Military History Museum, located in the Plaza de España itself.