Spanish military who are celebrating this Christmas far away from home

@DefAviation ES 12·24·2023 · 20:34 0

Christmas is the family holiday par excellence, but many Spanish soldiers will celebrate these holidays very far from their homes.

These lines are dedicated to the 3,000 Spanish military who are currently deployed abroad, very far from their loved ones, serving Spain, in the following places:

• The members of the XXXVII Antarctic Campaign of the Spanish Army and the civilian scientists who accompany them, who already this week they left for Argentina, heading to Antarctica.
• The sailors of the Navy ships that are at sea.
• The soldiers deployed in Operation enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in Latvia, in the eFP XIV contingent.
• The soldiers deployed in Romania with the Tigru Detachment, in the Reinforced Air Surveillance (eAP) mission.
• Military personnel deployed in NATO's Operation Support Turkey at Incirlik Air Base.
• The military deployed in Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq.
• The airmen and sailors assigned to Operation Atalanta in Djibouti and the Indian Ocean.
• The military deployed in Lebanon in Operation Free Hidalgo with UNIFIL.
• The soldiers deployed in the EUTM Mozambique mission in that African country.
• The soldiers deployed in the EUTM Somalia mission.
• The soldiers deployed in the EUTM Mali operation, in Bamako and Koulikoro.
• The soldiers deployed in the Central African Republic within the framework of the EUTM RCA operation, in Bangui.
• The military deployed in Senegal, on a support mission to Mali.
• The military assigned to the UN Mission in Colombia.
• The soldiers assigned to EUFOR Operation Althea in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

I also want to remember other people who will spend these days serving Spain, their respective countries and their peers:

• The Ukrainian soldiers who are in Spain, training with Spanish personnel in order to return to their country to fight against the Russian invasion.
• The diplomatic personnel, the military attachés and agents of the National Police deployed in the different Embassies, Consulates and other delegations of Spain in the foreigner.
• The military on guard in barracks, ships, air and naval bases, air control centers, air surveillance squadrons and in military hospitals, and also the military from other countries stationed in Spain strong>, in different military bases and in diplomatic delegations.
• The agents of the National Police Corps, the Civil Guard and the Spanish local and regional police forces, and also the police forces and border guards of other countries who are on duty watching in the streets, in the roads, in our mountains, ports, airports and customs.
• The health personnel and the staff of the nursing homes, who ensure our health and take care of our sick and elderly people.
• Firefighters and Civil Protection service personnel who are on call these days, awaiting any emergency and even saving lives.
• All the civilians who work these days, taking care of our infrastructure and transportation, providing basic services to our society, and also prison officials.
• And as always, with special affection, I also remember the missionaries, priests, military chaplains, religious and cooperators, who help those most in need, care for the sick, give spiritual assistance to our soldiers and watch over us with your prayers.

Before finishing, I want to send a memory and a hug to the families of the military who died this year, especially to the families of the two members of the Spanisg Army who died this week .

I wish you a good night with that which is your second family, the one that accompanies you day by day in the performance of your duties. Thank you all and a big hug.

Merry christmas!

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Photo: Estado Mayor de la Defensa. The Spanish soldiers of the eFP XIV contingent leaving a few days ago for Latvia.