EMMOE: 75 years at the top

On the 12th of April 1945, the Military Mountain School, precursor to the current Military Mountain and Special Operations School (Escuela Militar de Montaña y Operaciones Especiales – (EMMOE)) located in Jaca (Huesca), was born. At that time, the goal was to unify existing mountain teachings, which had previously been developed in a very sporadic way. Since then, the EMMOE has been continuously evolving, becoming a leading teaching centre of both national and international prestige, from which more than 4,000 military personnel from 18 different countries have graduated, and this year it celebrates a very special birthday.

The reason for the existence of the school lies in its two departments: Mountain and Special Operations. The different courses that are taught are structured within these departments, making the EMMOE a leading “teacher of teachers.” The latest addition to the selection of courses it offers is the Basic Mountain Course intended for mountain unit troops. In fact, one of the changes that has occurred in recent years is that courses are no longer limited exclusively to those in command positions.

Many changes have taken place throughout these three-quarters of a century of history, but there is one thing that has remained unchanged: to speak of mountain training and special operations is to speak of excellence. “Both in the case of special operations courses and mountain courses, the physical toughness is great. But in addition, the former entails a significant psychological burden, while in the latter, the need to master technical aspects is great” says Sergeant Major Moliné, stationed at the centre. This requirement led to reform in the selection of personnel who take part in certain courses, as is the case of the Special Operations Basic Aptitude course aimed at troops. Taught by the Special Operations Command, under the technical direction of EMMOE, its duration has bee increased to 1,000 hours and its participants must pass a series of physical, medical, psychological and decision making tests prior to beginning the course, since it is essential that “whoever wonders whether this is the right path for them, finds out before starting.”

Many changes have taken place throughout these three-quarters of a century of history, but there is one thing that has remained unchanged: to speak of mountain training and special operations is to speak of excellence. “Both in the case of special operations courses and mountain courses, the physical toughness is great. But in addition, the former entails a significant psychological burden, while in the latter, the need to master technical aspects is great” says Sergeant Major Moliné, stationed at the centre. This requirement led to reform in the selection of personnel who take part in certain courses, as is the case of the Special Operations Basic Aptitude course aimed at troops. Taught by the Special Operations Command, under the technical direction of EMMOE, its duration has bee increased to 1,000 hours and its participants must pass a series of physical, medical, psychological and decision making tests prior to beginning the course, since it is essential that “whoever wonders whether this is the right path for them, finds out before starting.”

Its courses, of great hardness

physical, psychological

and technique, are recognized

inside and outside of the country

In the current era, the EMMOE has also had to adapt to the new situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, its courses are developed with all the security measures established by the health authorities in mind, including the adaptation of the facilities to limit the number of people present at the same time, dividing people into groups to carry out physical tests and carrying out PCR tests on staff.

When discussing the centre, the Army Ski Team cannot be overlooked. It has participated in numerous military competitions outside our borders, winning international trophies in Germany, Argentina, Switzerland and the United States, among others. It has also helped to spread Defence Culture in our country, thanks to its achievements in civilian tournaments, and has won various national championships in Spain in cross-country skiing, mountain skiing, and winter biathlons and triathlons. It is also worth highlighting the High Mountain Military Group, created with the aim of promoting the maintenance of the technical level of the teaching staff and serving as a testing ground for the testing of mountain resources, techniques and methods. This group’s record is exceptional and is distinguished by the achievement of what is known as “the three poles”, the journey to the North and South Poles and climbing Mount Everest, and “the seven peaks” which consists of climbing the highest mountains on each of the 6 continents (or 7 if we differentiate between North and South America).­­­—

Without doubt, the EMMOE “builds character and, when the course has finished, you discover that you are a different person,” explains Sergeant Major Moliné. “You are capable of doing extraordinary things but always with humility,” he concludes.