The Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, talks with the soldiers of the ‘Rey Alfonso XIII’ Brigade of the Legion in Almería
“In Spain we are all proud of the Legion, its professionalism, and its enviable solidarity and empathy”, said the Minister for Defence during her visit to the Legion’s ‘Rey Alfonso XIII’ Brigade in Almeria, which is currently training 22 Ukrainian fighters and preparing as a rapid deployment force for NATO.
“The preparation they have is a sign of calm in the face of the geopolitical situation the world is going through, with the war in Ukraine”, said Robles in words of recognition and gratitude that he extended to the town of Viator and the whole of Almería and Andalusia “who feel and live the Legion as their own”.
She assured the Ukrainian fighters that in the Legion’s Brigade “they will find the best training” for a war that Robles hoped would end soon, and in which Spain’s commitment to Ukraine is “total and absolute, as I told President Zelenskyy last Friday” at the meeting of the Contact Group.
The ‘Rey Alfonso XIII’ Brigade (BRILEG) is the largest unit of the Legion and a reference in the Army, in which 3,000 legionnaires (218 women) serve, under the command of Brigadier General José Carreras.
In addition to the training it provides in the framework of the EU Military Assistance Mission to Ukraine, BRILEG is a key contributor to the generation of a NATO Allied Reaction Force (ARF) to achieve immediate results and respond effectively to potential crisis situations in all types of operations.
“The rapid projection capability that they offer the Atlantic Alliance at this time is essential and NATO knows that it has the best professionals”, said Robles, who stressed the importance of “the preparation and protection capability that they have here”.
During her visit to the ‘Álvarez de Sotomayor’ base, Robles was able to see a demonstration of combat training in built-up areas for the Ukrainian military, as well as the NATO Rapid Deployment Unit and the facilities of the 8×8 ‘Dragon’ wheeled combat vehicle.
A tribute to the fallen and a meeting with the families of recently deceased personnel, including a legion corporal who died in the line of duty in Poland, concluded the minister’s programme, where was accompanied by the sub-delegate of the Government in Almería, José María Martín Fdez, and the head of the Land Force, Lieutenant General Carlos Melero.
Prestige
The BRILEG was created in 1995 on the basis of the Legion Command, the 3rd and 4th Tercios ‘Don Juan de Austria’ and ‘Alejandro Farnesio’ of the Legion from the island of Fuerteventura and Ronda, respectively, and the support units of the disbanded XXIII Almeria Brigade. All these units were installed at the ‘Álvarez de Sotomayor’ Base, except for the 4th Tercio, which remained in the city of Ronda.
Regarded worldwide as one of the most prestigious units, the Legion was the first unit to be employed in overseas operations under the United Nations flag. It opened missions in 1992 in Bosnia-Herzegovina and subsequently in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Iraq twice, Congo and Lebanon, and has also been involved in Afghanistan and Mali.
The Spanish Legion celebrates its 104th anniversary on 20 September.
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