"La Legión is one of the units most highly recognised and loved by the people of Spain", says María Dolores de Cospedal

The event took place on Wednesday at the 'Álvarez de Sotomayor' base in Viator (Almeria), headquarters of the 'Rey Alfonso XIII' Brigade of the Spanish Foreign Legion. In her speech, the Spanish minister said that "all these hallmark values of our Armed Forces and La Legión in particular will be demonstrated over the course of the upcoming deployments of this unit in Mali and Iraq".

Furthermore, the minister wished to thank the families for their "dedication, patience, effort and solitude", and asked them to "support them and to be their strongest rock". To conclude, María Dolores de Cospedal urged them "to look after yourselves and give your very best", adding that "we will always feel immensely of you all".

Among other officials, she was accompanied by the Chief of the Army Staff, Army General Francisco Javier Varela; the Central Government Representative in Andalusia, Antonio Sanz; and the Chief of the 'Rey Alfonso XIII' Brigade of the Spanish Foreign Legion, Brigadier General Juan Martín Cabrero.

The event began with the enthronement of the Cristo de la Buena Muerte (Christ of the Good Death), protector of the Spanish Foreign Legion. This was followed by the bestowal of decorations, the naming of Honorary Legionary Knights, the recital of two chapters from the Legionary Creed, a speech by the general and a tribute to those who have laid down their lives for Spain. To conclude the event, the formation sang the anthem of the Spanish Foreign Legion and paraded in front of the attending authorities and invited guests.

The Legion

The Spanish Foreign Legion was raised as a unit of Spanish and foreign volunteers by Royal Decree from King Alfonso XIII on 20 September 1920 to be used as a vanguard force in the Hispano-Moroccan War. At the time, it was called the Tercio de Extranjeros.
For many years, the Spanish Foreign Legion was the only unit of the Spanish Army formed by Spanish and foreign troops. The enlistment of foreigners was suspended in the early 1980s.

Considered the world over as one of the most prestigious military units, the Spanish Foreign Legion has been the first unit used by Spain in overseas operations under the flag of the United Nations and has specialised in stabilisation missions in crisis zones.

The Spanish Foreign Legion spearheaded the mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1992 and subsequently the missions in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Iraq on two occasions, Congo and Lebanon, and has also taken part in missions in Afghanistan and Mali.

The Spanish Foreign Legion is currently made up by the 'Rey Alfonso XIII' Brigade deployed in Viator and Ronda (Malaga), and the 'Gran Capitán' 1st Tercio of the Spanish Foreign Legion and the 'Duque de Alba' 2nd Tercio of the Spanish Foreign Legion, based in Melilla and Ceuta, respectively.

The 'Rey Alfonso XIII' Brigade of the Legion

The 'Rey Alfonso XIII' Brigade (BRILEG) of the Spanish Foreign Legion forms part of the 'Castillejos' Division, which is in turn managed by the Spanish Army based in Seville. With over 3,000 legionnaires, it is the largest unit of the Legion.

It was raised in June 1995, when the then Spanish Foreign Legion Command became the BRILEG General Headquarters and relocated from Malaga to its current location at the 'Álvarez de Sotomayor' base in Viator (Almeria).

The BRILEG comprises the General Headquarters Banner, the 'Don Juan de Austria' 3rd Tercio of the Spanish Foreign Legion, the Field Artillery Group, the Sappers Banner and the Logistics Group, all of which are based in Viator, and the 'Alejandro Farnesio' 4th Tercio of the Legion and the 'Reyes Católicos' Cavalry Group, based in Ronda (Malaga).

Partnership agreement with the Provincial Council of Almeria

The Minister for Defence, María Dolores de Cospedal, and the President of the Provincial Council of Almeria, Gabriel Amat, signed a partnership agreement before the event to promote and facilitate the communication of defence culture by raising awareness and boosting collaboration between the two institutions.

The Minister for Defence expressed "her pride and satisfaction" on the signing of this agreement, which she said is mainly aimed at communicating the defence culture.

In this regard, María Dolores de Cospedal said that "the provincial council will support communication and awareness- raising activities about our armed forces, and particularly about the Spanish Foreign Legion as an iconic unit of the Spanish infantry. In turn, this unit will demonstrate how our armed forces care for the environment by assisting with the care and study of autochthonous flora and supporting the spread of historic heritage".

To conclude, she stressed that this is a "generous agreement with the Spanish Foreign Legion and will lead to benefits for the province of Almeria and its inhabitants".

This agreement will promote the image of units located at the 'Álvarez de Sotomayor' base (headquarters of the 'Rey Alfonso XIII' Brigade), the conservation and communication of existing military history and heritage (including its historical and botanical collection and installations) and will foster the tourism image of the province of Almeria.

The partnership will be realised via an economic contribution of 400,000 euros from the Provincial Council of Almeria allocated to improving installations on the base.

Non official translation