260 new officers receive their ''Real Despacho'' at the General Military Academy

The new officers throw their caps in the air (Photo: Ángel García/DECET)

The minister and the chief of Army Staff review the troops (Photo:Iván Jiménez/DECET)

The minister of Education attaches the ribbon (Photo:Ángel García/DECET)

260 new Army and Civil Guard officers received their “Real Despacho” graduation diploma at Zaragoza’s General Military Academy on 9 July. Minister of Defence Pedro Morenés presided over the ceremony.

The group included 108 lieutenants of the Army General Corps and 48 lieutenants of the Upper Officers Scale of the Civil Guard Corps. They make up the LXX class, the first to complete a new curriculum which combines military training and university degrees in Industrial Organisation Engineering or Security Engineering.

The efforts of the Academy to adapt to the new European Higher Education Area have been recognised with the award of the ribbon of the Order of Alfonso X “el Sabio”, which was added to the flag of the centre. The ribbon was presented by the minister of Education, Culture and Sport, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, during the ceremony.

The presentation of the award took place after all the new officers had been presented with their “Reales Despachos”: Those of the LXX class, 10 of the Quartermaster Corps, 14 of the Polytechnic Engineering Corps and 80 second lieutenants of the Officer Scale of the Civil Guard.

Minister Morenés handed out the diplomas to top students: Lieutenants Josep David Peris, David Barrera and Francisco Mateos (from the General Corps) and Daniel López and Alfonso Osaco (from each of the Civil Guard scales). They also received the Military Merit Cross with a white emblem to mark their academic achievement.

Also in attendance were authorities such as the chief of the Army Staff, Army General Jaime Domínguez Buj, and the president of the Aragón regional government, Javier Lambán Montañés.

The ceremony concluded with a tribute to those who gave their lives for Spain, the Academy anthem and a parade of those leaving the Academy. At the end they threw their caps in the air, in keeping with tradition.

Graduation ceremony

The previous afternoon the 98 graduate cadets of the LXX class attended a graduation ceremony at the Assembly Hall – 10 members of the class had obtained their degrees before joining the Academy. It is the first time such a ceremony has been held, and it was organised by the University Centre for Defence.

During the ceremony, all students received their graduation diplomas. In addition, the two students with the best academic record – Cadets Daniel Barrera and Josep David Peris – received their extraordinary graduation award.

The ceremony was presided over by the dean of the University of Zaragoza, Manuel Pérez, and finished with a rendition of the famous graduation hymn Gaudeamus Igitur.