THE MILITARY PARADE ON THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY REMEMBERS 20 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL ARMED FORCES MISSIONS.

The military parade held in Madrid to commemorate the National Holiday, 12th October, included the flags of the international organisations under which Spain deploys its forces abroad. 
The reason for this is that 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the first Spanish participation in an international mission since the transition to democracy. Therefore, the flags of the United Nations, the European Union and NATO joined the parade followed by the guidons representing some of the units that have participated in operations abroad since 1989, to make a total of 36: 24 from the Army, 5 from the Navy, the same number from the Air Force and 2 from the Civil Guard.

A battalion made up of men and women with experience in international missions joined the parade, constituting one of the special features of this year’s parade, along with the fly past that took place between the parading of the mechanised groups and those on foot, instead of at the beginning of the events, as had been customary. 

New setting
Another of the important changes this year was the parade route and the location of the authorities. Due to works that are being undertaken in the “Plaza de Colón” square and the “Paseo de Recoletos” avenue, the events were moved to the northern end of the “Paseo de la Castellana” avenue, between the “Plaza de Cuzco” and the “San Juan de la Cruz” squares, with the grandstands being placed near the “Plaza de Lima” square.

At this point the National Holiday commemorative events started up with the arrival of Their Majesties the King and Queen along with the Royal Family at 10:30 am. They were received by members of the Government, headed by President Zapatero, the presidents of the Parliament and the Senate, autonomous community presidents and other authorities.

The Monarch reviewed the Royal Guard battalion accompanied by the Chief of the Joint Defence Staff, Air Force General José Julio Rodríguez, and witnessed the airborne arrival of the three Army Acrobatic Patrol paratroopers, who landed just in front of the grandstand. The last of them bore the unfurled Spanish flag.

Following this they proceeded to hoist the flag and the tribute to the fallen was held, with participation by relatives of some of the most recent service personnel fallen on active service, whom the King wished to greet personally. Shortly before, the “Águila” Patrol had crossed the sky, leaving behind it a trail in the colours of the Spanish flag.

Land parade in four blocks

The Royal Guard Motorcycle Platoon’s Harley Davidson motorcycles started off the land parade, led by the commander of the Anti-aircraft Artillery Command, General Bonal, and his Staff, as well as a unit of veterans and another of volunteer reservists in vehicles.

The motorised group had a light unit represented by the 6th Paratroops Brigade "Almogávares", which paraded with its all terrain motorcycles, “Lince” Multipurpose Light Vehicles and High Mobility Tactical vehicles equipped with "Lag-40" grenade launchers, “Tow” anti-tank missiles and “Mistral” anti-aircraft missiles.

The 63rd Field Artillery Regiment, belonging to the Field Artillery Command, based in León, displayed a SIVA Integrated Air Surveillance System unmanned aircraft with its wings deployed and in launch position, three towed howitzers and three lorries with Shelter, the most powerful satellite terminal possessed at present by the Army.

The mixed Artillery unit was completed with the Patriot and Hawk systems as well as two Nasams launchers from the 74th and 73rd Anti-aircraft Artillery regiments. Represented in the support unit were the 21st Signals Regiment from Marines (Valencia), the 11th Logistic Support Group, based in Colmenar Viejo (Madrid), and the Medical Brigade.

The Military Disaster Relief Unit paraded with 9 vehicles and ending the block was a Civil Guard mixed motorised company, which gave way to the mechanised/armoured group, which offered the many spectators congregated along the “Paseo de la Castellana” avenue the possibility of having an up close look at the “Leopardo” Spanish manufactured tanks, "Pizarro" vehicles with which they form a tandem, and the "Centauro" reconnaissance and combat vehicles, belonging respectively to the 61st Armoured Infantry Regiment "Alcázar de Toledo", the 31st Mechanised Infantry Regiment "Asturias" and the 2nd Cavalry Brigade "Castillejos".

These were joined by the six “Piraña” Armoured Personnel Carriers and six Hummer vehicles belonging to the Navy’s Marine Infantry Brigade, based in San Fernando (Cádiz). Following them, a mixed support unit could be seen with M-109 howitzers, VCZ Sapper Combat Vehicles, a VEMPAR recuperation vehicle loaded with a VCZ Sapper Combat Vehicle and trailer, all of them from the 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade; lastly, there was a logistic transport unit made up of Kynos “Aljaba” tractor units from the Army Transport Group.

The Fly Past marked the half-way point

The fly past, in which the Army participated with 2 “Tigre”, 3 “Cougar” and 2 “Chinook" helicopters from the Army Helicopter Force, marked the midpoint of the commemorative events and the beginning of the groups on foot.

Parading in the first were a Royal Guard battalion and cadets from the Navy, Air Force, Army and Civil Guard military schools. In the second, following a mixed Navy battalion, another paraded made up of personnel from the three branches of the Armed Forces with experience in missions abroad, a squadron of air units and a Military Disaster Relief Unit company, which this October celebrates its fourth anniversary. Then, an Army battalion with a company from the 3rd Paratroops Battalion "Ortiz de Zárate", another from the Special Operations Command and the third, Skier-Climbers in their characteristic white winter uniform.

The final group on foot was made up of legionnaires from the 1st Legion Regiment "Gran Capitán" from Melilla, with its 160 step per minute pace which contrasted with the slower march of the Battalion from the 54th Ceuta “Regulares” Group, which brought to a close the parade on foot.

The fine, imposing horses from the Royal Battery’s Horse Transport Platoon and those from the Civil Guard’s Rural Security Group Cavalry Troop brought the military events to an end. After this, the Royal Family and authorities departed “Plaza de Lima” square bound for the Royal Palace to attend the traditional reception offered by the Monarchs on the National Holiday.

Celebration abroad

Spanish troops deployed abroad also commemorated the Spanish National Holiday by holding various events. The most moving was the one experienced in “Plaza de España” square on the Forward Support Base in Herat (Afghanistan) at the presentation of International Security Assistance Force medals to the force members.

One of the soldiers wounded last week in the attack that took the life of Corporal Cristo Ancor Cabello, received his while seated in a wheelchair pushed by a fellow soldier. Furthermore, the tribute ceremony to those who gave their lives for Spain made special mention of the deceased corporal, an act that was repeated during the ceremony that took place on Base "General Urrutia", Spanish Provincial Reconstruction Team headquarters in Qala-i-Naw. Likewise, the Provincial Reconstruction Team members received medals for their services in the NATO mission in Afghanistan.

Spanish troops deployed in Lebanon celebrated the Spanish National Holiday with a military parade on Base "Miguel de Cervantes" in Marjayoun, which was presided over by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon military commander’s assistant, General Bardalai Apurba. The Force was made up of Spanish units from the 10th Mechanised Brigade, based in Cerro Muriano (Córdoda), which contributed the bulk of the force, as well as a Lebanese Army Music platoon.

A few days earlier, on 2nd October, the Spanish service personnel posted to the Eurocorps, whose headquarters is in Strasbourg (France), commemorated the Spanish National Holiday jointly with the German personnel, whose holiday in on 3rd October. During the ceremony the flags were paraded of the countries within the scope of the Eurocorps: Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Luxemburg, along with the performance of the respective national anthems.