Relief of the Spanish contingent deployed in Adazi: committed to defending NATO's eastern flank

•  Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Jesús Abad Sánchez, the F/E LVA XVIII contingent assumes responsibility for the mission after relieving the 17th contingent, which has served for six months in the Baltic country

 In Latvia, the Adazi military base has hosted the transfer of command between the 17th and 18th Spanish contingents of the Eastern Flank Latvia (F/E LVA) mission, which constitutes the core of NATO's Multinational Battlegroup deployed in this Baltic country.

On this occasion, Brigadier General Miguel Ángel Sáez Nievas, Deputy Chief of Support for the Operations Command (MOPS in Spanish), presided over the handover ceremony between the two rotations. The Spanish Ambassador to Latvia, Manuel Alhama Orenes, also attended. This handover ceremony renews Spain's commitment to security in Latvia, which began in 2017 and has continued uninterrupted.

At the military parade, after receiving General Sáez with the customary honours, the handover of command took place with the transfer of the pennant between the heads of the 17th and 18th contingents, Lieutenant Colonels Daniel Díaz Simón and Jesús Abad Sánchez, respectively. This symbolically marked the end of a period of dedication, service and professionalism on the part of the outgoing personnel.

During his speech, General Saéz Nievas thanked the outgoing contingent for their efforts. "Your initiative has enabled Spain to take the lead in improving the logistics processes of NATO's Multinational Brigade, in developing its plans and in designing its exercises. Congratulations also on your motivation to innovate, which will have a direct impact on this operation and future deployments.‘ He then addressed the soldiers of the 18th rotation, telling them that ’you have six months of hard work ahead of you, but also an opportunity to demonstrate your operational capabilities and spirit of service" in the interests of the security and protection of the Alliance's eastern flank.

For his part, Lieutenant Colonel Díaz Simón, after paying tribute to the Canadian-led Multinational Brigade and the Latvian Armed Forces for their great camaraderie and hospitality, addressed his soldiers to thank them for their loyalty and dedication during these months: ‘You can be sure of the excellent work you have done in Latvia and you can be proud of having enhanced the name of Spain.’ Finally, I wish the unit led by Lieutenant Colonel Abad a successful mission, telling them that the essence of this Spanish deployment is ‘Latvia and our NATO allies. Without a doubt, something worth fighting for.’

Following the tribute to those who fell for Spain, both within and beyond our borders, and the military parade, this military ceremony came to an end, demonstrating the Spanish Armed Forces' commitment and solidarity with the Alliance.

F/E LVA XVII: six months of intense operational activity

During its six months of service as part of Operation Flanco Este, the seventeenth rotation demonstrated its high level of preparedness, spirit of sacrifice and willingness to defend its allies, participating in numerous exercises, including Resolute Warrior, in which the Multinational Brigade deployed its forces east of Latvia for the first time, and NAMEJS-25, the main exercise carried out in Latvia, in which the contingent collaborated and trained hand-in-hand with the Latvian National Guard.

In addition, the contingent has stood out for its excellent physical preparation in participating in various sports competitions, where it has achieved first place in almost all of them, such as the prestigious Baltic Warrior, the ‘30 Miles’ race, the Polish Race and the Dancon March. In all of them, they received congratulations from the other contingents for their attitude, preparation and professionalism.

Operation Flanco Este Letonia XVIII is now underway, under the operational command of the Operations Command (MOPS), which is formed on the basis of units from the XII Guadarrama Brigade, as the base unit, as well as personnel from the Logistics Brigade and Field Artillery Command, among others. The incoming contingent is prepared to carry out its mission with maximum efficiency, thus continuing the legacy of previous rotations and contributing to improving Spain's image abroad and consolidating the Multinational Brigade as a unit committed to its allies in the defence of the eastern flank and, therefore, in the defence and security of Spain.