Mr. Rajoy acknowledges the Light Infantry Brigade’s labour in operation ‘Galician Sentry’

Honours upon his arrival. (Photo:Light Infantry Brigade)

The Prime Minister accompanied by the Chief of the Army Staff reviewing the formation. (Photo:Light Infantry Brigade)
 

The president listening to explanations on the Light Infantry Brigade’s exercise.(Photo:Light Infantry Brigade)
 

The Prime Minister, Mr. Mariano Rajoy, today has visited 7th Light Infantry Brigade ‘Galicia’, in Figueirido (Pontevedra), along with the Chief of the Army staff, Gen. Jaime Domínguez Buj. With this gesture he has wished to express gratitude for and acknowledge the Brigade’s work in the prevention of forest fires, within the scope of operation ‘Galician Sentry’.
 

In just one month —the operation started up on 1st August and will not finish until 2nd October—, 23 patrols made up of Light Infantry Brigade personnel have covered on foot and by vehicle over 130,000 kilometres of secondary roads and forest tracks in Galicia. So much work is already beginning to pay off:  the service personnel have achieved reducing the number of forest fire reports and actions with respect to the same period in 2011. Thus, the prime minister has wished to congratulate them personally on a campaign that is proving to be especially virulent throughout Spain. 
 

The labour of the Army’s ‘sentries’ is not fire fighting, but rather surveillance—sighting and reporting possible sources of forest fire— and prevention; it is in their hands to deter arsonists and inform residents that their behaviour may originate fatal consequences for forest patrimony in Galicia.  In fact, according to Major Fernando Márquez, commander of the operation monitoring cell, stubble field burning in high risk fire hazard areas is the main problem.   The patrols have detected, as well, that many residents are unaware that this practice is an act which constitutes a crime, hence the Light Infantry Brigade has recommended that the Autonomous Government of Galicia undertake awareness campaigns in this sense. 
 

As well, Mr. Mariano Rajoy has also taken advantage of his presence on Base ‘General Morillo’ to encourage and support the deployment —in November— of the Light Infantry Brigade in Afghanistan, since it will be the core of the troops that will make up Task Force ASPFOR XXXII.
 

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