Images of Afghanistan at Army Headquarters

The Chief of the Army Staff addressed those attending (Photo:Luis Rico/Army Communication Department)

 

The Chief of the Army Staff and the minister, along with Mr. Pepe Díaz (Photo:Luis Rico/Army Communication Department)

 

Ms. Mayka Navarro accompanied the authorities (Photo:Luis Rico/Army Communication Department)

The minister of Defence, Mr. Pedro Morenés, yesterday opened a photography exhibition on the Mission in Afghanistan in a tent installed in the Buenavista Palace gardens, Army Headquarters (Madrid). The minister was accompanied by the Chief of the Army Staff, Army General Jaime Domínguez Buj, other civilian and military authorities, as well as a large number of journalists. 

In a first part, the show presents in all 19 photographs and two maps from the book Mission: Afghanistan, which has been published recently by the Ministry of Defence.  The journalist Mr. Enrique Montánchez is the author of the book, whose graphic editor has been the chief of Photography at  Spanish Defence Review, Mr. Pepe Díaz. The images displayed cover the period from 2002 to 2012, which coincide with the Spanish military presence in the Asian country and have been taken by Mr. Vicente López, Mr. Santiago Conesa, Mr. Francisco Rosaleny, Mr. Paco Huertas, Mr. José María Sempere, Mr. Manuel Galán, Mr. Mikel Ayestaran, Mr. Miguel Temprano and Mr. Pepe Díaz himself.

The second part of the show consists of a collection of 23 photographs taken by the journalist Ms. Mayka Navarro —from The Newspaper of Catalonia— by means of her iPhone and the Hipstamatic application. In this manner, the author has wished to reflect the 10 days that she spent alongside the 30th Spanish Force in Afghanistan, made up with core troops from 3rd Legion Regiment ‘D. Juan de Austria’.

The Chief of the Army Staff reminded in his address of the importance of the mission in Afghanistan: ’30,000 men and women from the Spanish Army have been detached there and 70 have left their lives while fulfilling their duty.  Therefore, he pointed out that exhibitions like this one contribute to Spanish society’s ‘being aware of and valuing our soldiers’ work and sacrifice, both personally and by their families’. 

The show will remain open to the public from 17th to 28th December (except for 23rd, 24th and 25th December), on a timetable of mornings from ten to two and evenings from four to eight.  Entrance is free of charge.