Celebration of the 486th anniversary of the Marine Corps aboard the frigate 'Reina Sofia'.

• On February 27, the world's oldest Marine Corps, the Spanish Marine Corps, celebrates its 486th anniversary

The frigate 'Reina Sofia', current command ship of the EUNAVFOR Atalanta operation, has celebrated on board, at sea, the 486th anniversary of the Marine Corps. In a ceremony in which the Royal Decree 1888/1978 was read, fixing the seniority of the Marine Corps, having the honor of being the oldest in the world. A review of the Patron Saint of the Marine Corps, St. John Nepomucene, was also read and the ceremony ended with the Marine Corps Hymn.

The force commander of 'EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta', Captain Juan María Ibáñez Martín, said a few words during the traditional toast on the flight deck, in which he emphasized the pride he feels for the Marines and the importance of the values they represent: honor, discipline, courage and loyalty.

To end the celebration, the solemn lowering of the flag took place at sunset, where a soldier of the Operational Security Team recited a commandment of the Marine Decalogue.

These acts take on special relevance in the frigate 'Reina Sofia', the command ship of Operation Atalanta, which has 23 Marines on board, their presence being essential for the success of the mission.  The Marines are multipurpose and very versatile, which facilitates their interoperability. Ensuring the protection of ships, both at sea and in foreign ports, and carrying out maritime interdiction operations are their main tasks on board.