The Plus Ultra Brigade , or Brigada Hispanoamericana , was a military contingent of mixed personnel from Spain (some 1,300 troops), the Dominican Republic , El Salvador , Honduras , and Nicaragua (about 1,200 troops between the four), which was commissioned to support coalition troops in the Iraq War . The deployment started in July 2003. The brigade's name was a reference to Plus Ultra , the national motto of Spain. The battalions of the four Hispanic-American countries were equipped and transported by the U.S. military, and received some specific training in Germany prior to their arrival to the Persian Gulf .
47-795: The Spaniards were based in Al-Qādisiyyah , and the Central Americans in Najaf , in south-central Iraq, near Dīwānīyah . Their objective was to relieve the U.S. Marine Corps in the area so that the Marines could be transferred to other, more problematic regions in the country. During their tenure in the region, the Plus Ultra Brigade's troops had few hostile clashes with insurgents. Some of their camps were harassed with RPG and grenade attacks, but there were few casualties. There
94-501: A distinction, earned through rigorous training and initiation tests. Basic training lasts four months and takes place in Cáceres or Cádiz . It includes basic military skills, forced marches and a stringent assault course. After the second month, the recruit signs a 2 or 3-year contract. After finishing basic training the recruit joins one of the tercios, in there he receives further training, taking from 1 month to 10 months depending on
141-661: A reduction of almost half from its original deployment of 380 soldiers. Salvadoran troops were withdrawn in 2009. In the Iraq war there were two brigades: The command of the Brigade Plus Ultra was given to the general, Alfredo Cardona , and had the order to act within the Hispanic-Polish Division that participated in the invasion of Iraq. On July 23, 2003, the Airport of Santiago de Compostela where
188-626: A third ' ) is an old Spanish military term that roughly translates as ‘regiment' (originally it had enough manpower to be considered a half-brigade). In the 18th century tercios were replaced by regiments. There is no equivalent word in English. Dating from the 16th century, the name was chosen to evoke the era of Spain's military supremacy as the leading Catholic power in Europe under the Habsburg Emperors. Organised into tercios in 1534,
235-662: A workers revolt in the area of Asturias . Under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Juan Yagüe , the Army of Africa played an important part in the Spanish Civil War on the Nationalist side. The professionalism of both the legion and the Regulares gave Franco's rebel troops a significant initial advantage over the less well trained Spanish Republican forces . The Army of Africa remained an elite spearhead until
282-440: Is mostly derived from districts and areas of the province and neighbouring provinces. The university is on the old road leading to the city of Hilla. The technical institute of Al-Qadisiyah is approximately 6 km from the city centre. This Iraq geographical location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Spanish Legion For centuries, Spain recruited foreign soldiers to its army, forming
329-834: Is named after the historical city of Al-Qādisiyah , the site of the Battle of al-Qādisiyah , where in 636 CE the Islamic Rashidun forces defeated the forces of the Sassanid Empire . The governorate is predominantly Shia Arab . It includes the Mesopotamian marsh of Hor Aldelmj. There is one public university known as the University of Qadisiyah , which was founded in the late 1980s, and includes colleges such as nursing, pharmacy, law, literature, education, agriculture, medicine and others. The student population
376-713: Is not part of the Legion Brigade, assigned as the Legion contribution to Army SpecOps. The military ranks and promotion conditions of the Spanish Legion are the same as those applicable to the remainder of the Spanish Army. Formerly the Legion had its own rank system for non-commissioned officers. The only modern difference is that soldiers (OR-1) in the Legion are referred to as "Caballeros Legionarios" (Legionary Gentlemen). Legionnaires consider this title as
423-608: The Bandera de operaciones especiales de la legión (19th Legion Special Operations Battalion or BOEL). The members of this unit, who were (and still mostly are) volunteers from other banderas of the legion, received training in: SCUBA /Maritime Warfare, Arctic and Mountain Warfare, Sabotage and Demolitions, Parachute and HALO techniques, Long Range Reconnaissance , Counter-terrorism and CQB , Vehicle insertion, Sniping and SERE ( Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion ). Much of
470-514: The Al-Diwaniyah Governorate ( Arabic : ٱلدِّيوَانِيَّة , ad-Dīwānīyah ), is one of the governorates of Iraq . It is in the southern part of the center of the country. The estimated population of the province is about a million and a half million people, according to the census of 2014. Its capital is Al Diwaniyah . Before 1976, it was part of the ad-Diwāniyah Governorate, along with al-Muthannā and Najaf . The province
517-524: The Moors and portrayed his men first as crusaders on an extended Reconquista against Islamic civilization, and later as the saviours of Spain warding off Communism and democratic liberalism defeating the dangerous spectre of 'Eastern Atheism' . As a tribute to the old Tercios the Legion coat of arms features, besides the crown, weapons used by the soldiers of these units - the musket, halberd and crossbow. The Legion's customs and traditions include
SECTION 10
#1732765552859564-558: The Zemla Intifada , had a significant influence on pushing the Sahrawi anticolonial movement into embarking on an armed struggle which continues, though Spain has long since abandoned the territory and handed it over to Morocco. Through the course of the legion's history Spaniards (including natives of the colony of Spanish Guinea ) have made up the majority of its members, with foreigners accounting for 25 percent or less. During
611-881: The Imam Muqtada al-Sadr Muqtada al Sader. The last 260 Spanish soldiers of the II Plus Ultra Brigade arrived in Kuwait on the afternoon of April 27, thus completing the exit from Iraq of all units. The last boat arrived in the port of Valencia on July 14, 2004, ending the withdrawal of the Spanish contingent, and also of the Central American contingent that retired at the same time, except the troops of El Salvador , who retired in 2009. Al-Q%C4%81disiyyah Governorate Al-Qadisiyah Governorate ( Arabic : القادسية , al-Qādisiyah ), also known as
658-458: The Legion with a distinctive spirit and symbolism intended to evoke Spain's Imperial and Christian traditions. For instance, the Legion adopted the regimental designation of tercio in memory of the 16th-century Spanish infantry formations that had toppled nations and terrorized the battlefields of Europe in the days of Charles V . Millán-Astray also revived the Spaniards' ancient feud with
705-694: The Republic of Cuba . Historically there had been a "Spanish Foreign Legion" which preceded the modern Legion's formation in 1920. On 28 June 1835, the French government had decided to hand over to the Spanish government the French Foreign Legion in support of Queen Isabella 's claim to the Spanish throne during the First Carlist War . The French Foreign Legion, with around 4,000 men, landed at Tarragona on 17 August 1835. This became
752-553: The Rif War of the 1920s most of the foreigners serving with the legion were Spanish speaking Latin Americans. In the 2000s, after the abandonment of conscription , the Spanish Legion once again accepted foreigners into service. Male and female native Spanish speakers, mostly from Central American and South American states, were included. Today, acceptance to the Spanish Legion is based on the following criteria: In recent years,
799-784: The Spanish African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla as part of their respective garrisons. The legion is directly controlled by the Spanish General Staff . Although the detachment at Málaga was transferred away, each year a company of legionaries from one of the Tercios (regiments) returns to march in the Holy Week procession with the Christ of the Good Death , a life-size effigy of Christ Crucified, adopted by
846-556: The Spanish Legion was involved in Bosnia as part of the SFOR . It also took part in the Iraq War , deploying in Najaf alongside Salvadoran troops, until the new Spanish government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero fulfilled its electoral promises by withdrawing Spanish troops from Iraq. The legion units deployed in Iraq were involved in several operations against the insurgency. In 2005,
893-580: The Spanish contingent, including the Spanish navy , arriving at the port of Um Umar on April 9, 2004. The rest of the contingent would continue to sail to Iraq from various points in Spain to complete the 1300 Spanish troops. The last contingent, made up of 335 soldiers, set out for Iraq from the Air Base of Torrejón de Ardoz on August 14, 2003. Later on, they would join the 1200 Central American troops to help
940-749: The Spanish in the reconstruction of the Country, taking the Brigade the relay of the marines of the United States on August 28. All Spanish and Central American troops will be established in Spain, in the city of Dīwānīyah, where the headquarters of the brigade is established, and in Base Al-Andalus of Najaf (Also known as Camp Golf ), until mid-December, when it will be relieved by the Plus Ultra Brigade II. The first brigade
987-617: The Spanish infantry gained a reputation for invincibility. In 1925, the unit title was changed to Tercio de Marruecos ("Tercio of Morocco"). This was soon abbreviated to ‘The Tercio’. In 1937 at the height of the Spanish Civil War, the Tercio de Marruecos was renamed La Legión , the name by which it is still known today. The Spanish Legion's first major campaign was in Spanish North Africa. In 1920 Spain
SECTION 20
#17327655528591034-594: The Tercios, is a 20th-century creation. It was raised in the 1920s to serve as part of Spain's Army of Africa . The unit, which was established in January 1920 as the Spanish equivalent of the French Foreign Legion , was initially known as the Tercio de Extranjeros (" Tercio of foreigners"), the name under which it began fighting in the Rif War of 1921–1926. Over the years, the force's name has changed from Tercio de Extranjeros to Tercio de Marruecos (when
1081-1061: The chest. The basic weapons used by the Legion are the same as those used by the rest of the Spanish Army. These include the G36-E rifle , its 40 mm grenade launcher modular attachment the AG36 , the HK MG4 and MG3 machine guns, and the HK USP 9mm pistol. Like the rest of the Army, the Legion makes use of crew served weapons such as the M2 Browning machine gun and the SB LAG 40 automatic grenade launcher on their armoured vehicles. The Legions field artillery group mans L118 105mm Light Guns , Italian wheeled tank destroyers B1 Centauro also are used. The Legion uses Land Rovers, Spanish-made BMR and VEC-M1 , VAMTAC , URO trucks and other vehicles like foreign LMV or RG31 . Millán-Astray provided
1128-1005: The expansion of the rebel armies after April 1937 led to the legion and Moroccan units being distributed across several fronts. Following the Francoist victory in 1939, the legion was reduced in size and returned to its bases in Spanish Morocco. It was only after then that the legion attained its present composition of 4 Tercios, and the names given to them, the 4th Tercio of the legion was established later in 1950: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] 1st Tercio "Great Captain Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba " [REDACTED] [REDACTED] 2nd Tercio " Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba " [REDACTED] [REDACTED] 3rd Tercio " Don Juan of Austria " [REDACTED] [REDACTED] 4th Tercio " Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma " When Morocco gained its independence in 1956
1175-529: The field of operations targeted Morocco ), and by the end of the Rif War it became the "Spanish Legion", with several "tercios" as sub-units. The Legion played a major role in the Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War . In post-Franco Spain, the modern Legion has undertaken tours of duty in the Yugoslav Wars , Afghanistan , Iraq and Operation Libre Hidalgo UNIFIL . The Spanish Legion
1222-583: The first Boeing 707 that would leave with the first Spanish contingent of 60 troops heading for Kuwait, where later it will be established in Iraq , creating and preparing camps in the Cities of Dīwānīyah and Najaf . Then, the assault ship Galician (L-51), the auxiliary ship Marqués de la Ensenada (A-11) and the Spanish frigate Reina Sofía would leave from the Naval Station Rota, Spain with part of
1269-526: The first Spanish Legion until it was disbanded on 8 December 1838, when it had dropped to only 500 men. The Spanish Legion was modelled on the French Foreign Legion . Its purpose was to provide a corps of professional troops to fight in Spain's colonial campaigns in North Africa, in place of conscript units that were proving ineffective. The first commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel José Millán-Astray Terreros , referred to his unit as ‘La Legión’ from
1316-422: The following: El Novio de la Muerte ( Bridegroom of Death ) is the unofficial hymn and regimental slow march of the Spanish Legion, composed in 1921 with words by Juan Costa set to music by Fidel Prado. Composed in 1920, La Cancion del Legionario ( The Legionnare's Song ) is the official quick march and anthem of the Legion. It was composed by Modesto Romero and Infantry Commandant Emilio Guillén Pedemonti. It
1363-743: The foreign regiments ( Infantería de línea extranjera ) such as the Regiment of Hibernia (formed in 1709 from Irishmen who fled their own country in the wake of the Flight of the Earls and the penal laws ). However, the specific unit of the Spanish Army and Spain's Rapid Reaction Force , now known as the Spanish Legion ( Legión Española, La Legión ), and informally known as the Tercio or
1410-689: The leaders of the legion and the unit's second-in-command, concurrently commanding the 1st Legion Bandera. The legion fought in Morocco in the War of the Rif (to 1926). Together with the Regulares (Moorish colonial troops), the legion made up the Spanish Army of Africa . In October 1934 units of both the legion and the Regulares were brought to Spain by the Republican Government to help put down
1457-432: The legion as Patron in the 1920s. It also has its own confraternity with its home chapel located in this historic city, where veterans who served in this unit are counted among its membership. The Legion's detachments also take part in various Holy Week events nationwide, including its military band. The currently active units of the Spanish Legion are: In other commands: The legion has a special operations unit known as
Plus Ultra Brigade - Misplaced Pages Continue
1504-573: The legion continued in existence as part of the garrison of the remaining Spanish enclaves and territories in North Africa. The legion fought Moroccan irregulars in the Ifni War in 1957–58. On 17 June 1970, Legion units opened fire and killed between two and eleven demonstrators at the Zemla neighbourhood in El Aaiun , Spanish Sahara , modern day Western Sahara . The incident, which became known as
1551-671: The legion was deployed in Afghanistan as part of the NATO -led International Stabilisation Force (ISAF). In 2006, the 10th Bandera was sent to Southern Lebanon as part of United Nations' Operation UNIFIL . The Spanish Legion is now mostly used in NATO peacekeeping missions. It has 5,000 soldiers in a Brigade of two Tercios (regiments) based in Ronda , Málaga and Viator , Almería ( Andalusia ). Two other independent tercios are deployed in
1598-573: The mission was that the displacements were carried out with maximum security, reason why it became necessary to coordinate the operation with the American forces. The first phase of the withdrawal materialized on April, 26. The last 150 Spanish soldiers from Al Andalus Base in Najaf headed to Spain Base in Diwaniyah, US soldiers occupying positions at the base of Najaf to avoid occupation by militias of
1645-437: The mystique of the legion. On 20 September 1920 the first recruit joined the new legion, a date which is now celebrated annually. The initial make-up of the regiment was that of a headquarters unit and three battalions (known as Banderas , lit. "banners"- another archaic 16th century term). Each battalion was in turn made up of a headquarters company, two rifle companies and a machine gun company. The regiment's initial location
1692-450: The recently elected new Spanish socialist government and the governments of Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras decided to withdraw their troops (a decision that somewhat tensed Spanish-American relations ). The lack of public support for the deployment and the war in Iraq was cited as the main reason, with Nicaragua, additionally stating its financial constraints. The Salvadoran military had (200) troops in Iraq by December 2008:
1739-530: The same camouflage dress for active service and ordinary duties as the rest of the Spanish Army but retains the unique, sage green Tropical Uniform for semi-formal barrack dress and as the basis of Legion parade uniform. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the modern legion uniform is the khaki "gorrillo" cap or " chapiri ", with red hanging tassel and piping. Contrary to usual military practice, Legionaries are allowed to sport beards and are permitted to wear their uniforms, both traditional and service, open at
1786-471: The specialty assigned. This is the same process as in the rest of units in the Spanish army. From its establishment the legion was noted for its plain and simple style of dress, in contrast to the colourful dress uniforms worn by the Peninsular regiments of the Spanish Army until the overthrow of the Monarchy in 1931. This was part of the cult of austerity favoured by a unit that considered itself on more or less continual active service. The modern legion has
1833-497: The start but this only became part of the unit's title from 1937. In the original Tercio de Extranjeros there were Latin Americans, amongst others, one Chinese, three Japanese, one Maltese, one Russian, both German & Austrian, one Italian, two Frenchmen, four Portuguese, one Belgian, unknown Filipino and one Spanish woman from Puerto Rico . However, soon the majority of its members were Spaniards who joined to fight outside of European Spain. Tercio ( lit. '
1880-416: The time of stay, the Spanish and Central American troops had many confrontations with the Iraqi insurgency. One of the most important combats was the Battle of April 4, in the base Al-Andalus in Najaf. After the attacks of 11 of March 2004, the 2004 Spanish general election was won by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero , who promised the withdrawal of the Spanish troops in Iraq. A new relay was being prepared but
1927-403: The training was undertaken at Fort Bragg (USA). In 2002 the BOEL was renamed 19th Special Operations Group "Maderal Oleaga" (GOE-XIX) and was moved to Alicante , and reported directly to Army HQ as part of the Special Operations Command, with recruitment now being in a national basis, with personnel assigned from various Army units. In 2019-20, the battalion returned to the Legion Command but
Plus Ultra Brigade - Misplaced Pages Continue
1974-405: Was at the Cuartel del Rey en Ceuta on the Plaza de Colón. At its height, during the Spanish Civil War, the legion consisted of 18 banderas , plus a tank bandera , an assault engineer bandera and a Special Operations Group. Banderas 12 to 18 were considered independent units and never served as part of the additional tercios into which the legion was organised. Francisco Franco was one of
2021-403: Was facing a major rebellion in the Protectorate of Spanish Morocco , led by the able Rif leader Abd el-Krim . On 2 September 1920, King Alfonso XIII conferred command of the new regiment on Lieutenant Colonel of Infantry José Millán-Astray , chief proponent of its establishment. Millán-Astray was an able soldier but an eccentric and extreme personality. His style and attitude would become part of
2068-532: Was formed by royal decree of King Alfonso XIII on 28 January 1920, with the Minister of War José Villalba Riquelme [ es ] stating, "With the designation of Foreigners Regiment there will be created an armed military unit, whose recruits, uniform and regulations by which they should be governed will be set by the minister of war." In the 1920s the Spanish Legion's five battalions were filled primarily by native Spaniards (since foreigners were not easy to recruit) with most of its foreign members coming from
2115-434: Was interrupted on April 18 by the government, ordering the return of the force. To evacuate the camps, 1000 Legionaries and specialists of the Engineer Command were sent. On April 21, General Fulgencio Coll Bucher handed over the command to the General José Manuel Muñoz of the exit operation "Support to the withdrawal (CONAPRE)", officially dissolving II Plus Ultra Brigade on April 29 in Bótoa (Badajoz). The priority of
2162-410: Was later replaced by Brigade Plus Ultra II, that would have as the core of formation the Mechanized Division . The rank of general in charge of the brigade passed to General Fulgencio Coll Bucher . The second Brigade will relieve the first with the transfer of troops to the bases Of Diwaniya and Najaf, during the middle of December 2003 until December 18, in which the last contingent would arrive. During
2209-474: Was only one serious incident, a skirmish with insurgents in early April 2004 in Najaf, which left one Salvadoran soldier dead and at least 19 Iraqis killed. The Rules of Engagement that the units followed were very restrictive and the authorization to use deadly force needed high command clearance, due to a directive seeking to "avoid or minimize at all costs collateral damage to people or property". The Plus Ultra Brigade finally dissolved in April 2004, when
#858141