Spanish Army Command in Tenerife Receives Long-Delayed Military and Civil Honors

During Armed Forces Week in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Spanish Army’s Canary Islands Command held a ceremony to formally add several long-overdue military and civil honors to the unit’s standard. The event, held on the Avenida Marítima, served as a way to recognize historical milestones that had previously been delayed by bureaucratic red tape.

The ceremony featured the attachment of commemorative ribbons to the unit's flag, honoring key moments in the Army’s history in the archipelago. These include military campaigns against England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the 1957-1958 Sidi-Ifni conflict, and the 1975 withdrawal from Western Sahara.

Several civil decorations were also officially presented. The President of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, awarded the Gold Medal granted in 2014. The Mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, presented the city’s Gold Medal (1978) and the Medal for Social Merit (2003). Additionally, the Mayor of La Orotava, Francisco Linares, presented a distinction awarded in 2024, recognizing the Army’s forty years of support in fighting forest fires in the region.

Lieutenant General Julio Salom, head of the Canary Islands Command, emphasized the importance of these ties to the local community. He also noted that the F-18 fighter jets seen over the capital may be among the last to fly before being replaced by Eurofighters.

Looking ahead, the Command is focused on operational readiness. In June, the Canary Islands XVI Brigade—a force of over 1,500 troops—will head to Zaragoza to seek European Union Battlegroup certification. If successful, the unit will be available for international missions over the next year. Locally, the Army is also preparing for the summer season by launching "Operation Canary Sentinel," which will increase surveillance to help prevent forest fires across Tenerife.