ARMED Forces members who helped evacuated more than 2,200 people from Afghanistan in August to fly them safely to Spain have been given medals in recognition of their excellent humanitarian work in the face of extreme danger.
Defence minister Margarita Robles (centre, in the pink coat) with Air Force and Land Army members awarded an Aeronautical Merit Cross for their vital humanitarian actions in Afghanistan (photo: Ministry of Defence)
A reminder to the public that 'the Army' is not just about fighting in wars, but a crucial tool in foreign and home-soil aid work and emergency response, the actions of Spain's military hogged the headlines this summer as they put their own lives on the line to shelter Afghan families from Taliban attacks at Kabul airport, accompanied them in flight, and greeted them on arrival in Madrid to coordinate their transport to safe accommodation, ensuring they had everything they needed for the immediate future, giving them information and interpreting for them.
The highly-dangerous evacuation operation ran until August 27, with Spanish troops leading the 2,200 onto A400M military aircraft in Kabul, heading for Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Once there, they boarded planes chartered by Spanish carrier Air Europa to take them to the military base in Torrejón de Ardoz, in the Greater Madrid region.
Although Spain's foreign and defence ministries were working to ensure all Spanish nationals who wanted to leave Afghanistan were able to do so securely, the vast majority of those evacuated in August are Afghan nationals fleeing a régime which had taken over their country 20 years on.
Many are adults who would have been very young children when international troops moved into their country, and have since grown up with, and developed a life in, a society that has been much safer, more free, wealthier, and with facilities and opportunities closer to those of the west – as well as women being largely considered equal.
To this generation, a life of repression, persecution and constant fear of death and torture is alien, and their existence has been turned totally upside down.
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