Farewell Ceremony for the Slovakia Eastern Flank Operation Contingent in Valladolid

Formation during the ceremony

The “El Empecinado” base, located in Santovenia de Pisuerga (Valladolid), hosted the farewell ceremony for the personnel of the contingent set to deploy to Slovakia starting on May 13th, as part of the Slovakia Eastern Flank Operation (SVK IV). The contingent will be led by the “Farnesio” Regiment No. 12, under the command of Colonel Espiga.

The farewell ceremony, which included a prayer for the fallen soldiers, featured the formation of four squadrons from the Regiment along with the personnel deploying to Slovakia, including members of the Command Support Team, the Framework Nation Coordination Cell, and the Brigade’s Forward Command Element.

In his address, Colonel Espiga highlighted the significant challenge of leading a multinational group and encouraged all personnel to carry out their duties with exceptional diligence.

Until December 2025, the aforementioned Regiment will lead the multinational Battle Group deployed in the Slovak town of Lešt, made up of approximately 800 Spanish troops and more than 200 vehicles, working alongside units from four other allied countries: Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, and the Czech Republic.

Moment from the farewell ceremony for the contingent