Contingent eFP XIII completes engineer-specific exercise 'Verboom'

• Led by the ESCC (Engineer Support Coordination Cell), under the command of a Spanish captain, it involved the participation of Spanish, Polish, Estonian and Lithuanian Army Engineer Battalion personnel.

The Spanish contingent deployed in Latvia participated in the 'Verboom' exercise, which began on 24 October with the arrival of all personnel and vehicles at the Adazi military base. It brought together more than 250 military personnel with a total of 30 vehicles from a wide variety of origins: Italians, Spaniards, Belgians, Germans, Czechs, British, Lithuanians, Americans and Canadians.

During the exercise, reconnaissance exercises were conducted in an amphibious environment. In terms of countermobility, obstacles were constructed using explosives such as abatis, counter-rocket pits, concertinas and ordinary and dispersible minefields. All of these were used to assess the breaching capabilities of the participating units, both with poles and explosive hoses, as well as using machinery and vehicles designed specifically for this task.

In each rotation, the Battelgroup in which the Spanish contingent is integrated demonstrates its prowess in a unique event that highlights the ingenuity of its sappers. After completing rigorous exercises and passing certifications in the course of the operation, the sappers await the opportunity to put their skills to the test in an activity designed specifically for their core speciality, the 'Verboom', in honour of the illustrious military engineer Don Prospero de Verboom.

Once again, the motto "Sappers, on mission" resonates in the hearts of the participants, as they demonstrate that our engineers are capable of taking on any responsibility that is entrusted to them, such as leading a multinational exercise of such complexity.