The Spanish contingent in Mali relieves its personnel to keep on with the mission

• The departure of EUTM Mali XIX members and the arrival of the new rotation completes the replacement of the Spanish contingent

Major Rubén Sastre Berrocal handed over command to major Juan José Ríos Gómez during the ceremony after the arrival of the Mali Helicopter Unit members at Camp Senou. The Protection Force was also relieved.

This Helicopter Unit is mainly made up of personnel from the Army Airmobile Forces (FAMET in Spanish) and its main mission is intratheater airlift for the EUTM Mali mission, both personnel and equipment.

Personnel of the new rotation face the challenge of maintaining the high level of operability of the previous teams, as well as contributing new ideas that improve the planning and execution of the missions entrusted to them. The new rotation of personnel will carry out the maintenance tasks required by a technologically advanced helicopter such as the NH90, the implementation of the brownout landing procedure and the forecast of the changing weather in the area.

Simultaneously to this act, the relief of the Protection Force was carried out, by the personnel belonging to the 12th Cavalry Regiment 'Farnesio' and the Marine Corps. These units will be in charge of providing continuity to the security of the personnel belonging to the EUTM Mali mission. They are assigned the security of both the convoys between the different Malian cities, as well as at the EUTM Mali bases and at the helicopter landing points.