The popular Spanish invention that has caught the attention of the US Army in Iraq

@DefAviation ES 3·01·2024 · 22:49 0

Since 2015, Spain has been contributing to the NATO mission to train the Iraqi Army to defeat the ISIS terrorists.

The Spanish invention that the 'Patiño' carries and that you will not see on ships of other navies
The Paratroopers Arrive: Video of the Relief in the Spanish Military Contingent in Iraq

As of today, in Iraq there are 55 Spanish soldiers from the Airmobile Forces of the Army (FAMET) who are part of the ISPUHEL XIX contingent, also known as Task Force Toro. Currently, this contingent has four AS-532 Cougar helicopters deployed in Iraq, at the Al Asad Air Base, in support of the allied mission in that country.

The Spanish contingent is under the command of Commander Roldán (on these lines, along with one of the Spanish Cougars). A few days ago, the DVIDShub multimedia portal of the US Armed Forces published a series of photos showing the Spanish contingent.

These photos have been published on the occasion of the 9,000 flight hours achieved by the Spanish contingent in Iraq. Above these lines we can see the aforementioned Spanish commander with US and French soldiers at the Al Asad Air Base, along with a poster that celebrates this milestone of the Spanish contingent.

DVIDShub has also published this photo in which we see Commander Roldán with other members of the Spanish contingent in Iraq, next to one of their Cougar helicopters.

The report published by DVIDShub, with photos taken by 1st Lt. Daphney Black of the US Army, includes images of maintenance tasks on the Spanish Cougar helicopters.

Curiously, in the series of photos of that US Army officer two images of a "futbolín" (foosball game) are included by the Spanish soldiers of the FAMET.

Futbolín is a popular Spanish invention, the work of the Galician inventor Alexandre Campos Ramírez (1919-2007). This is a very common game in Spanish military bases and also on Spanish Navy ships. As we saw last year, the Combat Supply Ship (BAC) "Patiño" A-14 has one on board.

In Spain there is a great passion for soccer, a hobby that it shares with many countries, including those in the Middle East. For our soldiers, those foosball tables are a good way to have a good time with their colleagues. Like soccer, futbolín also arouses passions in other countries.

As of February 2017, DVIDShub posted this photo of US soldiers at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, spending time with a futbolín.

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Photos: U.S. Army.