The Engineer Command Receives the Ministress of Defence

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Number: 866

The Engineer Command receives the ministress of Defence

The Engineer Command, situated in Salamanca, on 12th April received a visit by the ministress of Defence, Ms. Carme Chacón who was accompanied by the chief of the Land Force Staff, General Francisco Javier Varela, the commander of the Engineer Command, General Álvaro Michael, and the commander of the 11th Engineering Specialities Regiment, Colonel Javier Alejandre.
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Ms. Chacón attended a short presentation on Engineer Command structure and capabilities, and subsequently visited a Module 1,000 camp materiel display (semi-permanent camp with capacity for 1,000 people), which included various types of tents and containers. The ministress also confirmed the one-minute deployment of a collective use Drash tent both for accommodation and command post with a 36 square metre useful surface area.

Also, the ministress of defence could become familiar with other 11th Engineering Specialities Regiment materiel included in the excavation and levelling assembly for land movement. This unit also carried out a demonstration of its horizontal and vertical construction capability, in the camp materiel experiences area by means of the installation work on an advanced company level detachment (Command Observation Post) similar to those constructed in Afghanistan. This Command Observation Post included the perimeter fence and other protective measures, access control, Command, living and services areas, with the water treatment system. To conclude, the 11th Engineering Specialities Regiment proceeded to lay a Mabey & Johnson bridge across a 60 metre gap, in two spans, with an intermediate pier and across 40 metres in a single span, while the 1st Engineer Regiment from Burgos built a forward Dornier bridge.

Before leaving the Engineer Command installations, the ministress of Defence announced that His Majesty the King will grant the Order of Isabelle the Catholic to the Engineer Arm, in the cravat division, which will be awarded to the Engineer Academy Colour. Ms. Chacón reminded of the innumerable times on which the Engineers have aided the civilian population on the occasion of great catastrophes, both within our borders and abroad. She also praised the labours that they undertake daily in Afghanistan and Lebanon, and movingly remembered the five servicemen killed on 24th February in Hoyo de Manzanares (Madrid), during an explosive deactivation exercise.

The Engineer Command is a Brigade entity unit, with its Headquarters in Salamanca, which organically depends on the Land Force and incorporates the 11th Engineering Specialties Regiment from Salamanca, the 12th Pontoneer and Engineering Specialties Regiment from Zaragoza and the 1st Engineer Regiment from Burgos.

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