Spain celebrated his Columbus Day

USPA NEWS - Spain celebrated on Friday the Holiday of the Hispanidad, a festive day throughout the country, called Columbus Day in the United States, which was celebrated with a military parade in Madrid and a reception at the Royal Palace, where the King and Queen of Spain, Felipe VI and Letizia, they talked with several hundred guests, among authorities and prominent figures of Spanish life.

The King, accompanied by the Queen Letizia, the Princess of Asturias and the Infanta Sofía, has presided in Madrid the honors ceremony for those who gave their lives for Spain, as well as the subsequent military parade that have been the central acts of Celebration of the National Holiday. In the military acts held in the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid have involved a total of about 4,000 soldiers of the three armies and 152 vehicles, in addition to troops of the Civil Guard, the National Police, Civil Protection, services of autonomous communities and City Council of Madrid, and Maritime Rescue.

The acts have begun with the arrival of the Royal Family in the Plaza de Cuzco. After receiving the honors of ordinance, Felipe VI has reviewed the Honors Group of the Royal Guard and has been completed by the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez, who assists for the first time as Prime Minister, the presidents of Congress and the Senate, ministers and military, regional and local authorities.

Then the acts began with a parachute jump in the Plaza de Lima, where the Royal Tribune will be located. Members of the Army Paratrooper Brigade carried the national flag down, which was raised solemnly. He followed the act tribute to those who gave their lives for Spain. Then the military stoppage was developed, and the air parade of 88 units initially planned must be suspended due to the prevailing weather conditions.

The terrestrial parade, structured in a motorized unit, four groups on foot and another on horseback, was opened by a section of motorcycles of the Royal Guard, followed by a formation of vehicles with the command of the parade and representatives of the different veterans brotherhoods of the Armed Forces and the Civil Guard, Reserves Volunteers and disabled military.

A sample of support vehicles of the models regularly deployed in operations areas such as Afghanistan and Iraq was also exhibited. Integrated into the Navy patrol, a light vehicle paraded with members of the Italian Hispanic Amphibian Force, Spanish and Italian with their script, to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of its creation. This mobile group was completed with special vehicles from the Emergency Military Unit, Civil Guard, National Police. For the first time, a motorized step was added with troops belonging to the Civil Protection service of the Communities of Madrid and Murcia, and firefighters of Madrid, as well as the Maritime Rescue service.

Then, the land parade began, led by the flags of the units, as well as by six historical banners from different periods, on the occasion of the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the institutionalization of the flag of the Navy as a national symbol. The first land group was formed by companies of the teaching centers of officers and non-commissioned officers of the three Armies and the Civil Guard.

The second grouping was made up of representations of different units of Marine Infantry, Air Deployment Support Squadron, Emergency Military Unit and Reserve Group and Safety 1 of the Civil Guard. The third group, meanwhile, has gathered troops from the 'Guadarrama' XII Armored Infantry Brigade, 'Galicia' VII Light Infantry Brigades and Parachute Brigade, and a mixed battalion from the Spanish Army.

They closed the parade on foot the units that march with a specific step, specifically the VIII Flag of the Legion and the first tabor of Regulares of the group 'Tetuán' 54. The stop and these central acts of the National Party concurred with the passage of the mounted units, with a section of Artillery by horse of the Real Battery, followed of the Saber Squad of the Group of Reserve and Security of the Civil Guard.

Video conference with the contingents

Prior to the celebration of the central act, the Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, held a video conference in the early hours of the morning with the heads of the Spanish detachments participating in missions abroad, to congratulate them on the occasion of the National Holiday. At present, the Spanish Armed Forces keep about 3,000 troops deployed in 18 missions or multinational forces of NATO and the EU.

Margarita Robles, accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Defense, Army General Fernando Alejandre, and the commander of the Operations Command, Lieutenant General Fernando Lopez del Pozo, thanked the contingent's military to ensure security and peace in the world leaving "the pavilion of Spain very high."

The leaders participating in the video conference gave news about the state of their respective missions and the activities that they will develop today in the different points of the four continents in which they are deployed today. In response to each of them, the minister stressed how the Armed Forces carry out their work "with generosity and love for Spain," also having special memories and words of affection for the families of the military deployed, who live their absence with sacrifice. He affirmed that even though they are "away from home", the troops deployed are "very close to our hearts." The Spanish Armed Forces began their participation in international missions in 1989. Since then, more than 150,000 Spanish soldiers have been part of more than fifty operations in four continents.