The Spearhead becomes gold

The 7th ‘Galicia’ Brigade was born with `airlift vocation, ´ as its named showed years ago (the word ‘airlift’ disappeared)

The BRILAT was a pioneer unit in the airlift operations from 1969 date the first exercise, -Azor-, took place.

These maneuvers meant a huge logistical operation in which about 1(k) military personnel and more than 200 vehicles were involved. They were a great example to follow (as it was emphasized at the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Jun. 8th, 9th) in terms of procedures and integration of different battalions from the different countries involved. This is another evidence that proves that the BRILAT has far exceeded the challenge to be the first leading this new spearhead’s Alliance.

Due to these changes, the traditional patrols’ competition, known as Tuy-Santiago, that the BRILAT has been organizing from 2002 was put off until September instead of May, as usual. This way, it was included in the 50-year anniversary events.

However, there were those who could not wait to celebrate the Golden Wedding; that was the case of the 8th ‘Santiago’ Armored Light Cavalry. Even though it is located in Valladolid, it is the Cavalry unit allocated to this Brigade, and on June 23rd, they prepared a parade for the celebration. Next day, at the ‘Cabo Noval´s’ quartering in Siero (Asturias), where the Regiment’s HQ ‘Príncipe’ n. 3 is located, the celebration for the anniversary also took place.

The State Lottery and the Blind People Spanish National Organization (ONCE, in Spanish) also paid tribute to the unit by devoting to them their lottery tickets (closed respectively for June 4th and 7th). The lottery ticket depicted 2 military personnel disembarking from an aircraft which encompasses the essence of the BRILAT UNIT that was born with ‘airlift vocation,’ as its named showed years ago (the word ‘airlift’ disappeared). Although the term disappears, it cannot be dissociated from its history. For a long time, airfreight training plus airlift operations took place on a regular basis. The unit was Pioneer in those mentioned abilities. Over the years, this extended to the rest of units, hence, removing the term ‘airlift’ from the whole name.

The Spanish BRILAT has taken part in 18 abroad missions in which a total of 16 military personnel have died

Afghanistan has been one of the most demanding of all the international missions in which the 7th ‘Galicia’ Brigade has participated

From January 2017 the unit will be called 7th ‘Galicia’ Brigade. This unit is dipped, like the whole Army, in a reorganization process. As Polyvalent Organic Brigade (BOP in Spanish), it will reckon on its 2 current Regiments — ‘Isabel la Católica’ n. 29 and ‘Príncipe’ nº 3—. To those 2, the ‘Farnesio’ n. 12 Regiment is added along with its ‘Santiago’ Cavalry Group. The location of the Regiments are, respectively, as follows: Figueirido (Pontevedra), Siero (Asturias) and Santovenia de Pisuerga (Valladolid).

Those units have a good amount of new material needed for the mentioned transformation. In Siero they already have 90% of the MRAP vehicles; these vehicles will be Protected Infantry until the arrival of the 8x8 vehicle. The I/29 ‘Zamora’ has already 100% of the URO VAMTAC (Spanish High Mobility Tactical Vehicle) to become motorized. The Artillery Group has received 75% of the SIAC shells.

In Figueirido, we find the “General Morillo” base where the HQ and many Brigade’s units are located since1987. The first one moved over there from the ‘Del Príncipe’ (aka Atocha) quartering in La Coruña place where the BRILAT Brigade was created on Jan. 24th 1966. The “Isabel la Católica” Regiment moved to the village of Lérez from Santiago de Compostela (the former HQ).

This is how the history that unifies Pontevedra town and the BRILAT Brigade started. It has been strengthen in the last years which is reflected in its common public events where it gets love from its neighbors. To illustrate this: the main event of the anniversary that took place on Oct. 9th at Montero Ríos Avenue with 2,000 military personnel attending.

There is also a connection with Asturias where the ‘Príncipe’ Regiment has been for more than a century and many Asturias’ locals consider as their heritage.

The harmony of the BRILAT with its neighbors is remarkable especially in important traditional events such as the movement of the remains of St. James or the cooperation with civil authorities such as the “Centinela Gallego” operation.

When the risks of fire are at their peak, the BRILAT´S military personnel gives warnings and monitors constantly so the local forests don´t get burnt down. This is a vital task that authorities and citizens truly value.

The 7th ‘Galicia’ Brigade represents until December the majority of the VJTF (NATO spearhead).

The total availability of the VJTF was brought to light at "Brilliant Jump" exercise in Poland.

In these 50 years of history, the BRILAT has taken part in 18 international missions and 16 members of those missions passed away. Among the casualties, the first woman in an operation field; she was soldier Idoia Rodríguez, deceased in 2007 in Afghanistan. Since then, the award from the Spanish DoD on ‘equality in the Armed Forces’ has taken her name.

On August 16th 2005, the Cougar helicopter crash killed 12 BRILAT teammates plus the lives of 5 other military personnel from the 4th Maneuver Helicopter´s Battalion.

The history of the Brigade abroad starts in 1995 in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The deployment finished days after the Dayton Peace Agreement (date that officially terminated the war in that country).

After that, in the year 2000, it was Kosovo’s turn, The Spanish rotation opened the first rebuilt bridge of the region on the river Istok. Likewise, it took part on the resettlement
of the Osojane Valley.

In 2003, the Brigade started the participation of the Spanish Army in Iraq where it began the detachment reconditioning tasks and finished the building sector of the Spanish base ‘España’ in  Diwaniyah. Two years later, it would make its debut in Afghanistan where it would create 6 contingents. The last one in 2015 within the framework of the new mission of the NATO that followed the International Force of Security Assistance.

That deployment would be done simultaneously along with the first in African soil. The unit deployed in Mali in the European Mission training

To finish the mission’s ensemble: 2005, Sappers in Pakistan because of the earthquake and, 2007, Lebanon begins. To summarize, the BRILAT Brigade has been essentially in all the scenarios where there were Army contingents.