Attention was drawn in Holy Week, in Malaga, when he approached to greet the legionnaires.
I really like military music and I understand it to some extent. When I see a band that plays well, I like to acknowledge it, even personalizing the recognition. We need to be close to our men and women, especially today. Our soldiers have to feel the closeness of the command, which knows their problems and cares about them. Because missions today are so complicated and are resolved at the lowest level, any legionnaire or soldier of the most basic rank must know they can have a fundamental role.
Why was the Canary Islands chosen for Armed Forces Day?
Firstly, because it is a territory of Spain, and there was a strong desire for Armed Forces Week to be held here. Last year, we tried but were finalists. In 1986, the then Prince of Asturias, and today our King, paraded here in Santa Cruz as a cadet knight. In 2024, the Princess was in the General Military Academy, and we thought it would have closed a perfect circle. It couldn’t be. There was already a commitment with Oviedo and Gijón. But the mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Bermúdez, wrote again to the Minister of Defense requesting us to be the host. His tenacity was highly valued by both the Chief of the Defense Staff (Jemad) and the Minister. Santa Cruz is a very military city, as well as the other capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Both are hosts this week for the Armed Forces and have an important military presence from the Army, Navy, Air and Space Force, Civil Guard, and UME. I also believe that Canarian society wanted to receive all the Armed Forces. Here, events are usually strong, but bringing in units from the peninsula and Ceuta and Melilla, special materials like tanks, and especially the presence of Their Majesties the King and Queen, give a special appeal. There was a lot of desire, both on our part and from the city.
What criteria are evaluated for such a choice?
We always try for a proportional representation of all the military branches. There are mainland capitals without a sea, which complicates a good representation of the Navy. The criterion is the demand of the city, a desire to organize. Organization is complex, both for us and for the city. It involves many meetings and requires significant effort in planning circulation or reception.
What does it mean for the central event to be held in Tenerife?
It brings the Armed Forces closer to society. The entire Spanish society should be represented by the citizens of Santa Cruz and Las Palmas. It also means conveying that national security and defense is a commitment for everyone, and we are the first defenders. Being accessible, close, ensuring no one sees us as something foreign.
When did preparations begin and how are they going?
We’ve been working on it for over six months, initially combining this work with other obligations and now almost exclusively. In November, our colleagues from Coruña, Oviedo, and Gijón, last year’s hosts, came for an important knowledge transfer. Since then, we have been receiving commissions from the Royal Household, the Ministry of Defense, and the Defense Staff, going to the City Hall and coming to the Captaincy Palace to propel everything. We must not forget that this is an effort directed at the highest level. A parade is not just closing a street. It involves closing many streets, rehearsals, logistics, communication, protocol, among other things. We’ve had invaluable collaboration from the Port Authority, which has provided us with the Fishing Basin and South Dike for our units to rehearse; Tenerife North Airport for military flights; Enaire for airspace closures. It has also been a challenge for the Cabildo and the City Hall, and for us, not to interfere too much in the life of our fellow citizens, and I refer specifically to traffic. We shouldn’t inconvenience those who don’t want to participate in the parade. Hence, the support from the Port has been essential to not move material too much or force early starts. And, above all, the hospitality of the personnel. We are talking about almost 2,000 soldiers from outside the Canary Islands coming not only to parade but also for organization and assembly tasks, airspace control, or accommodation and logistics. Everyone coming from outside has to sleep, shower, live, and have dignified living conditions within the general austerity we offer.
Have you had support from any organization for these needs?
The Cabildo has provided us with the Multipurpose Room at the Fairs and Congresses Center, where there will be more than 1,200 people living. Others will be in the barracks of La Cuesta and Hoya Fría.
Where will the events take place?
The static exhibition is between Spain Square and the port area, from June 3 to 8. Besides the material, there will be exhibitions of canine training, bomb disposal, combat and self-defense exercises. Then we have the military music contest, with seven bands, six military and the Santa Cruz Municipal, which will have performances of five or six minutes each, ending with a joint performance that will include some surprises. It will be at the Lake of Spain Square. There will be an aerodynamic exhibition, in the Port area where the major concerts are held (in front of the Cabildo) with aerial activities.
And the main event?
In front of the Auditorium. The royal stand will be in front of the Black Castle, where honors to His Majesty the King will take place, the flag hoisting, a tribute to the fallen, and the parade. This setting combines history with modernity. There are the Black Castle and the Powder House, next to the Auditorium, the Maritime Park, and the Palmétum. First, the aerial parade, then the motorized and tracked vehicles, and finally, on foot, representing all units; Navy, Army, Civil Guard, UME. Lastly, those with specific steps; that is, the Legion and Regulares. If the weather allows us, there will be parachutist jumps. That day, plus the rehearsals, we will be quite noticeable.
How are the command areas of Ceuta, Melilla, and the Balearic Islands managed from the Canaries?
We are an organic structure. We are very far, we have double insularity. For example, the Canary Islands Brigade is on three different islands and five barracks. And we can imagine what Ceuta, Melilla, and the Balearic Islands are like, with different islands. The advantage is that we have strong cohesion, as, in addition to organic command, we are operational command. The general chief of the Canary Islands Command, aside from depending on the Chief of the Army Staff as a first-level command, depends on the commander of Operations Command in permanent presence, surveillance, and deterrence missions. And we are all non-mainland, which strengthens that mentality that we must be vigilant about maintenance, for example, due to the salinity of the environment. It’s very challenging to maintain the equipment, not just in Ceuta or Melilla but also in places like Puerto del Rosario with its salinity combined with significant dust storms. These common problems generate intellectual cohesion.
What perception do you think most Canarians have of the Army?
The Army is a representation of society. Our units are full of young people from La Laguna, the Taco neighborhood, from anywhere on the island or archipelago. Many Tenerife citizens have a son, nephew, or a friend’s son in Hoya Fría, for example, working as a soldier. People perceive us in a friendly way. But we must keep working for them to identify us as their most loyal allies.
Do you think similar actions should be done like the forest fire surveillance?
Our primary mission is always to prepare and be ready to generate operational structures and fulfill the military missions assigned to us. The advantage is that a unit prepared for combat, so to speak, can easily be structured for civilian authority support. Operation Prometheus is a fundamental surveillance action of the Forest Crown, after what we experienced two years ago with the major fire. It is easy for us to structure it, as we are used to generating a command and control structure, organizing missions with patrols following orders. In San Andrés, we set up a bridge, during the eruption of Cumbre Vieja we helped with the reception plan at the El Fuerte base, and for the blackout in La Gomera, we sent electric generators. Last year, the Forest Crown surveillance gave us enormous personal satisfaction. All the soldiers were eager to help because they feel it as their own. In the 2023 fire, where we didn’t have much prominence, the Canary soldiers asked me: let’s do whatever is necessary. For a Canarian, their territory is sacred. Prometheus allows us to update procedures, practice mapping, and moving with navigation systems or maps. This year we can do helicopter flights. In the end, everyone benefits.
Does the Army have enough personnel in the Canary Islands?
Our staffing level is acceptable. And we make efforts to keep inviting young people to join. We have a system where not everyone will become permanent. About 15% of those who enlist will become permanent. The rest can’t be discharged without having appropriate professional training, and that’s one of our challenges. But I would like to have a bit more personnel.
How successful are recruitment campaigns?
They receive a good response. The thing is, Canarians like to stay on their island, not move to the next one. It’s easy for a person from Tenerife to fill needs in Tenerife, but not in Fuerteventura. Sometimes, when they go there, they realize that life is good anywhere. And then we have mainland soldiers who, when they come here, stay, both because they rebuild their lives and make new friends and because the Canary Islands is a welcoming land. It’s a nice place to live, with a very pleasant environment.
What percentage of Canarians have decided to join the Army in recent years?
About 70 or 75%. But I think we should encourage mainland soldiers to keep coming.
What are the main projects of the Canary Islands Command for the next few years?
We have several and quite important operational projects. The Canary Islands Brigade currently has a contingent of almost 700 men in Lebanon. The Canary Islands Command has generated a contingent in Iraq at the moment, replacing one from Ceuta with another from Melilla. And we have an anti-aircraft regiment in Las Palmas which, in 2026, will be deployed in a Baltic country to collaborate in their air defense. This year we have a significant mission, with many soldiers from Tenerife, in establishing a Battle Group available to the European Union, with 1,500 men, which is the EU’s first response capability for medium and low-intensity crises.
NATO is already looking at threats from the southern flank. Is the Army prepared to respond to these challenges?
The Canary Islands are within the defense structure. Our job is to be prepared to respond to a contingency, threat, or crisis. I have to say yes because this is my job.
Do the facilities and equipment of the Army in the Canary Islands require modernization?
Yes, they do need modernization. We are currently facing a significant investment effort, exceeding 10 billion euros nationally. From these funds, an important portion is allocated to improve the quality of life and security of our bases and barracks. It’s about having more functional facilities. Some of our barracks are quite old and are within the modernization program. One of them is the one in Puerto del Rosario. Additionally, it will receive more modern equipment. We also have the GAR base in La Isleta, which is important and receiving considerable investments, especially to improve conditions for storing equipment and vehicles, as well as accommodations and dressing rooms. In Tenerife, the barracks of Los Rodeos, Hoya Fría, and La Cuesta need improvement, especially the quality of life. For this Armed Forces Week, we have made an important effort to improve the habitability of our barracks, and these improvements are becoming permanent.
