General Coll Awards the Cross of Military Merit in the Red Division to the First Fallen in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

 The Chief of the Army Staff, Army General Fulgencio Coll, has awarded, posthumously, five Crosses of Military Merit in the Red Division to four Army servicemen killed on active service in the Bosnia-Herzegovina mission prior to 2003, as well as to a civil guard who was killed in Irak in 2004. This presentation has taken place in a moving ceremony this morning at Buenavista Palace, Army Headquarters.

The medals have been awarded to the following servicemen:

Captain Arturo Muñoz Castellanos (Task Force Canarias), belonging to the 2nd Legion Regiment “Duque de Alba”, killed on 13th May 1993 as the result of the injuries suffered while delivering a shipment of medicines to the Muslim hospital in Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina), during the process of the release of a religious authority agreed by both parties.  It was the first Spanish casualty in this conflict, and it was also the first in all the peacekeeping missions undertaken by our Armed Forces.

Captain Francisco Jesús Aguilar Fernández (Task Force Canarias), belonging to the 1st Legion Regiment “Gran Capitán”, killed on 11th June 1993 when snipers attacked the convoy that was transporting medicines to a Muslim hospital in Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina).

Corporal Gentleman Legionnaire José Luis León Gómez (Task Force Canarias), belonging to the 4th Legion Regiment, killed on 30th July 1993, as a result of the injuries produced by artillery fire while on guard duty at the detachment in Jablanica (Bosnia-Herzegovina).

Major Fernando Álvarez Rodríguez, (Task Force Madrid), belonging to the Explosive Device Deactivation Unit in the area of operations, killed on 4th December 1994 as the result of a land mine explosion when his unit was carrying out reconnaissance of the reservoir in Salakovak (Bosnia-Herzegovina).

The Cross of Military Merit in the Red Division has also been awarded to Civil Guard Lieutenant Colonel Gonzalo Pérez García. (Plus Ultra II Brigade), killed on 4th February 2004, as a result of the injuries received to the south of Diwaniya (Irak), while he directed a joint operation with Iraqi policemen  and Spanish servicemen aimed at breaking up a dangerous organization dedicated to illegal arms trade.

The medals were received by their closest relatives from General Fulgencio Coll in the presence of those who at that time had been the direct hierarchical superiors of the deceased.

Following this Ms. Carmen Montilla, Captain Jesús Aguilar Fernández’s widow, addressed those attending the ceremony on behalf of the relatives, “I wish to thank the Armed Forces and the Army for keeping their memory alive and showing that we are not alone in this irreparable loss,” she affirmed.  In turn, General Coll, who underlined the heroic compartment in peacekeeping missions of the honoured servicemen, assured that “Spain had a debt with them that today is partially settled”, although he considered that the generosity they had shown to the homeland will never be completely repaid.  Furthermore, the Chief of the Army Staff expressed  to the relatives that they must feel “proud” and know that “you have our respect and admiration; as well the Army is always ready to welcome and take them in with the same generosity that they have shown us.

Recognition of these fellow soldiers with one of the highest awards with which a service person can be honoured was approved by the cabinet on 10th December last year by means of a royal decree that modifies the General Regulation on military rewards.  In this  manner, the Ministry of Defence extends the award of Crosses of Military, Naval and Aeronautical Merit in the red division to service persons, fallen as  a result of violent actions by hostile elements, who were deployed on international missions prior to 2003.