The Spanish Armed Forces are directly engaged in the total biological warfare against the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic from the very beginning. The military contribution to defeating the lethal viral infection is for a very simple reason.
When health and social services, the food supply chain, critical infrastructure on land, air or sea are under threat or at the edge of their capacities, the Armed Forces are the last collective insurance that the State has to guarantee the survival of its people. and decent living conditions for Spaniards.
With the mere presence of military personnel on the streets of cities and towns in our national territory, as well as in airports, railway and port stations, hospitals, health centres, residences to carry out disinfection tasks or to collaborate in surveillance missions and support the Local Police, Civil Guard and National Police, our compatriots perceive that the fight against the coronavirus is very serious. They also see that the different military units and their logistical services are organised and trained not only to fight but also to provide immediate aid and relief to the civilian population.
The vanguard of military action in the all-out war against the relentless coronavirus that is ravaging the Spanish population is the Military Emergency Unit (UME), which on Sunday afternoon, 15 March, the date on which the state of emergency was officially activated, deployed its first thousand troops in Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, León, Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the seven cities closest to where the UME's Emergency Intervention Battalions are stationed.
Under the direction of the Chief of Defence Staff (JEMAD), Air General Miguel Ángel Villarroya, the Commander-in-Chief of the Operations Command (MOPS), Army Lieutenant General Fernando López Del Pozo, has activated Operation Balmis - in homage to the Alicante-born military doctor (1753-1819) who brought the smallpox vaccine to the Philippines and Spanish America - and assumes direct command of all operational capabilities, The UME, the General Health Inspectorate (IGESAN) and the operational military units of the army and the navy have been given direct command of all operational, health, logistical and infrastructure capabilities.
The number of towns and personnel has been progressively increased so that on Thursday, 19 March, a total of 2,662 EMU military personnelThe Marine Infantry, the Legion and other Army and Air Force units were already deployed in 59 locationsBoth in the main provincial capitals and in smaller towns such as, for example, Alcázar de San Juan, Astorga, Avilés, Benidorm, Cariñena, Don Benito, Laredo, Linares, Leganés, Manacor, Mérida, Zafra...
From hospitals to mobile bakers
But how can military units assist the civilian population in cases of extremely serious health problems?
The Spanish Armed Forces have a extensive team of medical specialistsThe vast majority of them have served and risked their lives in conflict zones abroad, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Gabon, Gabon, Lebanon, Mali, Central African Republic, Somalia, Senegal and others. The vast majority of them have served missions and risked their lives in theatres of conflict outside our borders, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Gabon, Lebanon, Mali, Central African Republic, Somalia, Senegal and many others.
The military organisation has specialised biological warfare units with special equipment to deal with highly lethal pathogens. As a whole, it has hospitals, ambulances and medical equipment and is able to provide material to set up camps quickly, hundreds of transportable kitchens for hot food seasoning, bakeries, laundries and mobile showers for communities, and has hundreds of thousands of varied food rations for breakfasts, lunches and dinners in stock for immediate distribution.
In addition, there are dozens of power generators and generators, water and fuel tankers, thousands of transport vehicles of all types, sizes and tonnages, mobile satellite communications and a host of air and naval transport services.
Ready when needed
The Ministry of Defence has also alerted around 150 doctors and about 70 nurses on standby status The Military Pharmacy has been instructed to increase the production of hydroalcoholic disinfectants and generic medicines. The UME is also setting up soup kitchens, for example at the Madrid Trade Fair Institution (IFEMA) to provide food and health care to the homeless, in collaboration with other ministries.
It is striking that the actions of the EMU in Catalonia - an autonomous community with a high volume of infected people - have been delayed until Thursday, 19 March, five days after the activation of the state of alarm.
As of that date, the Ministry of Defence did not give the placet for the UME to carry out tasks of disinfection, support or surveillance of critical infrastructures in Barcelona. A contingent of 85 military personnel and 28 vehicles arrived in the late afternoon of Saint Joseph's Day in Barcelona and distributed its troops between El Prat airport and the port of Barcelona. The defence authorities have claimed that the deployment in Catalonia and the Basque Country will be carried out "when requested and necessary".
With regard to the presence of the UME in the Basque Autonomous Community, on Tuesday morning, 17 March, around fifty UME soldiers did not reach their final destination, Vitoria airport, where it was apparently planned and agreed that they would disinfect their facilities in order to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19 to passengers using their air terminals. Apparently, they had to settle for arriving at the town of Araca -a few kilometres from Vitoria-, to proceed to disinfect the facilities of the Army's military base there.
Juan Pons
Senior Advisor to Proa Comunicación and Army Colonel