Robles awards decorations to the Guadarrama XII Brigade at the end of their mission in Lebanon

The Diplomat Defense Minister Margarita Robles presided this Thursday over the ceremony awarding decorations to the Libre Hidalgo XLIV Contingent (Guadarrama XII Brigade) at the end of their six-month mission with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). “Thank you for how important you have been for peace in the world,” Robles stated during the ceremony awarding Military Merit Crosses with blue and white ribbons to the ‘Libre Hidalgo’ XLIV Contingent, which took place at the El Goloso Military Base in Madrid. “You risked your lives to help the Lebanese people, and there are no words to express our gratitude for that,” added the minister, who had the opportunity to visit this same contingent at the ‘Miguel de Cervantes’ base last December. Robles also highlighted the “responsibility, courage, and commitment to peace and stability” of the BRILIB XLIV contingent, which experienced very delicate situations during a particularly critical time in the region. From November 2025 to May 2026, the base unit for BRILIB XLIV was the ‘Guadarrama’ XII Brigade. During its mission, Spanish personnel participated in the recovery of the bodies of several Indonesian soldiers who died as a result of attacks stemming from the deteriorating situation between Israel and Hezbollah. “Today we close the chapter on this brigade, and I want their families to feel as proud as I do and as all Spaniards do,” Robles emphasized. “Spanish soldiers are highly professional and are characterized by their discretion and prudence; they never seek recognition. That is why I have come to award them the medals they deserve,” she concluded. The ceremony included a tribute to those who fell in Operation Libre Hidalgo and the Guadarrama XII Brigade, which Robles extended “to all the soldiers who have given their lives in Lebanon over these past 20 years.” The Spanish contingent leads UNIFIL's Eastern Sector, which comprises four battalions from Spain, India, Nepal, and Indonesia. The Guadarrama XII Brigade had already deployed to Lebanon as a core unit on six other occasions. According to the Ministry of Defense, in a context of continuous attacks and incursions by the Israeli army, the peacekeepers continue to fulfill their mission and conduct patrols along the Blue Line, the border between Israel and southern Lebanon. Also participating in the awards ceremony were the Chief of the Defense Staff, Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón; the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Amador Enseñat; the Secretary General for Defense Policy, Admiral Juan Francisco Martínez Núñez; the commanding general of the ‘Lebanon’ XLIV Brigade, Major General Antonio Bernal and the commanding general of the ‘Guadarrama’ XII Brigade, Brigadier General Fernando Cano.

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