The CAOC Torrejón celebrates Germany Day

The event was attended by the Minister and Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy

The NATO Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejón de Ardoz (CAOCT) has marked Germany Day. The event was attended by the Minister and Chargé d’Affaires at the German Embassy in Madrid, Ingo Stender, alongside the Defence Attaché, Colonel Markus P. Zenker.

The Commander-in-Chief of the CAOCT, Lieutenant General of the Air and Space Force, Juan Pablo Sánchez de Lara, welcomed Stender, who was visiting the facilities of this NATO international unit for the first time. Together they presided over the military ceremony during which the flag of the Federal Republic of Germany was raised, whilst the German national anthem was played in front of all the unit’s personnel lined up in formation.

In his speech, General Sánchez de Lara emphasised that the contribution made by the German contingent is a direct reflection of what nations can achieve when they act in accordance with the principles of solidarity, cooperation and generosity, prioritising unity over division. “NATO has drawn strength from that same spirit of mutual trust, with the ultimate aim of defending democracy, individual freedom and the rule of law,” said the Spanish general.

For his part, the embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires brought the speeches to a close by expressing his gratitude for the warm welcome and praising the excellent work and daily commitment shown by both his compatriots and the rest of the international staff who bring the CAOC Torrejón to life.

The CAOCT has a permanent and significant contingent of German military personnel, who are fully integrated into the structure of the Air Operations Centre (AOC).

TORREJÓN COMBINED AIR OPERATIONS CENTRE (NATO)

The CAOC Torrejón, under the direct command of a lieutenant general of the Spanish Air and Space Force, has as its primary mission to plan, direct, coordinate, supervise, analyse and report on air defence operations in Southern Europe, in accordance with the directives of the NATO Air Component Command, to which it reports, and using the resources that member nations allocate to NATO in peacetime.

The Spanish Armed Forces make a significant contribution to the mission carried out by this centre. Around 120 Spanish military personnel are serving both at the CAOC itself and within the National Support Element (NSE) and the NATO Communications and Information Agency Unit (NCIA).