Military parade at Operations Command for its 20th Anniversary

• During the ceremony, decorations were awarded to Operations Command personnel.

The Operations Command (MOPS) has held a Military Parade to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its creation, chaired by the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral General Teodoro Esteban López Calderón. During the ceremony, the Plaques, Commendations and Crosses of the Royal Military Order of San Hermenegildo and the Crosses of Military, Naval and Aeronautical Merit were awarded to MOPS personnel.

When it was created in 2004,’ MOPS Commander Lieutenant General Francisco Braco Carbó recalled during his speech, “the Spanish Armed Forces participated in only four operations abroad: Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Operation Active Endeavour”. Thus, in these 20 years of existence, the Operations Command has expanded the deployment of Spanish forces throughout the world, including such unstable territories as Iraq, Lebanon and Mali, as well as the North Sea, Colombia, the Solidarity Response operation in Pakistan and the Humanitarian Aid operation in Haiti.

Currently, and after the withdrawal of the EUTM Mali operation, Spain has its military in 16 operations abroad, being the deployment for the Reinforcement of the Eastern Flank of Europe under the NATO shield, with various locations in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Türkiye, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the most demanding operation,’ the CMOPS stated.

Lieutenant General Braco congratulated the awardees: ‘Today you are receiving public recognition for your work, effort, dedication, good work and competence. You are the mirror in which the rest of us present here should look at yourselves. I encourage you to continue along the path that has led you to this moment’.

The final touch was provided by the parade of the Force, a mixed honours company, following the emotional tribute to the fallen, with a special remembrance of the soldiers who died in operations.