EDITORIAL
Mission
accomplished
NOW that the state of alarm is over, and with it the Armed Forces’ Operation
Balmis against coronavirus, the Retamares military base hosted a well-deserved
tribute ceremony, presided over by Defence Minister, Margarita
Robles, for the men and women who participated in the fight against the pandemic.
This operation, whose main objective has been to try to save lives and help
citizens as much as possible, has once again shown the service vocation that guides
the members of our Armed Forces on a daily basis. It is a great satisfaction for the
men and women in uniform to feel useful to society and receive in return its affection
and gratitude.
The members of our Armed Forces have stood by the sick who have been
transferred to civilian hospitals or treated in defence hospitals, by the elderly in nursing
homes, by the deceased in temporary morgues, by the homeless... “You were where
you were needed”, Margarita Robles told them at the Retamares event. For fourteen
weeks, the Armed Forces carried out 20,000 interventions in 2,300 cities and towns,
in all the autonomous communities and cities, of which 11,000 were disinfections, a
very necessary measure to stop the spread of the virus. They intervened in around
5,300 nursing homes, about 3,500 hospitals and health centres, more than 1,300
social centres, etc.
Balmis has also highlighted the flexibility and agility of the Armed Forces’
operational structure, which has facilitated at all times an adequate reaction capacity,
as well as the effective response of the Inspectorate-General for Defence Health and
its network of centres to immediately meet the challenge.
Looking to the future, the COVID-19 crisis has taught us that the challenges that
modern societies have to face require a multidisciplinary and cooperative response,
and that security must be comprehensive and global, paying special attention to
aspects such as solidarity, preparedness or the guarantee of critical supplies.
The new National Defence Directive approved by the Government in June is along
these lines. This document, which sets the defence policy guidelines for the coming
years, includes for the first time pandemics, climate change and disinformation actions
among the threats to our security. A security which will continue to be supported by
a military that has shown in Operation Balmis its capacity for planning and immediate
deployment throughout the national territory, and has proved to have professionals
that, due to their skills and spirit of service, are ready to act in any situation.
RED
August 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 3