A remembrance for those who serve their country this Christmas 2025, far from home

Christmas is a celebration where families traditionally gather together, but in many homes today there will be empty chairs.

These days, many soldiers, sailors, and airmen are serving their country far from their homes and loved ones. They will spend this Christmas with their other great family, the one they have in their comrades in the Armed Forces. These lines are dedicated to them, especially to my nearly 4,000 Spanish compatriots deployed abroad:

• The members of the XXXIX Antarctic Campaign of the Army, the civilian scientists accompanying them and the crew of the Navy ship "Hespérides", who are sailing towards Antarctica.
• The sailors of the Navy ships that are at sea.
• Airmen from the Vilkas Detachment of the Air Force deployed in Lithuania on a Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission with NATO.
• The military personnel deployed in the Operation enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) with the NATO Multinational Brigade in the eFP XVIII contingent in Latvia and in the Nasams Air Defense Unit in that country.
• The soldiers deployed in Operation EUFOR Althea in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
• The military personnel deployed in Romania, with the Tigru Detachment, in the Reinforced Air Surveillance (eAP) mission, and with the FIMAR R-III of the Marine Corps.
• The Army contingent deployed in Slovakia, as part of the land deployment on NATO's eastern flank.
• Military personnel deployed in NATO's Operation Support to Türkiye, at Incirlik Air Base.
• The military deployed in Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq.
• The aviators of the "Orion" Detachment in Djibouti, deployed in that African country as part of Operation Atalanta.
• The sailors of the frigate "Victoria" F-82 stationed in the Operation Atalanta in the Indian Ocean.
• The soldiers deployed on the EUTM Somalia mission.
• The soldiers of the BRILIB XLIV contingent deployed in Lebanon in Operation Libre Hidalgo with UNIFIL.
• The soldiers deployed on the EUMAM Mozambique mission.
• The soldiers deployed in the Central African Republic as part of the EUTM RCA operation.
• The soldiers stationed at the UN Mission in Colombia.

I also want to remember other people who will be spending these days serving Spain, their respective countries, and their fellow human beings:

• The Ukrainian soldiers who are in Spain, training with Spanish personnel with the aim of returning to their country to defend it against the Russian invasion, and also those who are fighting on the front lines against the invaders. May the new year 2026 finally bring them victory and, with it, peace.
• Soldiers from allied nations who are deployed in Spain and other countries, serving their homeland far from home.
• Diplomatic staff, military attachés and National Police officers who are deployed in the various Embassies, Consulates and other delegations of Spain abroad.
• Soldiers, sailors and airmen on duty in barracks, ships, air and naval bases, air control centers, air surveillance squadrons and military hospitals.
• Military personnel from other countries stationed in Spain, at various military bases and as defense attachés in diplomatic delegations.
• The agents of the National Police Corps, the Civil Guard and the local and regional police forces of Spain, and also the members of the police forces and border guards of other countries who are on duty watching over the streets, on the roads, in our mountains, ports, airports and customs.
• Healthcare workers and nursing home staff, who look after our health and care for our sick and elderly every day of the year.
• Firefighters and Civil Protection personnel on duty these days, ready for any emergency and saving lives.
• All civilians who are working these days, taking care of our infrastructure and transport, providing basic services to our society, and also prison officers.
• And as always, with special affection, to the missionaries, priests, military chaplains, religious and aid workers, who help those most in need, care for the sick, give spiritual assistance to our military personnel and watch over us with their prayers.

I've left the most important thing for last: a special remembrance and a hug to the families of the military and police personnel who died this year in the line of duty, and also to all of you who, like me, have lost a loved one this past year. Always remember that death is not the end.

Merry christmas!

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Photo: Estado Mayor de la Defensa. An EF-18M fighter jet from Wing 12 deployed to the Vilkas Detachment in Lithuania in a photo taken on December 6, 2025.