The Spanish Navy commemorates the 489th anniversary of the Marine Corps, the oldest in the world

The main ceremony, presided over by the Chief of the Navy Staff (AJEMA) in Ferrol, leads a nationwide program of celebrations highlighting nearly five centuries of uninterrupted service “on land and at sea.”

The Spanish Navy is marking the 489th anniversary of the creation of its Marine Corps with a military ceremony today, February 27th, at the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores Barracks of the Tercio del Norte in Ferrol. This will be the central event among those scheduled across Spain wherever the Corps has a presence. The ceremony will be presided over by Admiral General Antonio Piñeiro Sánchez, Chief of the Navy Staff, accompanied by Major General José Luis Souto Aguirre, Commander General of the Marine Infantry Force, and attended by civilian and military authorities.

The ceremony will include a solemn flag-raising, troop formation, tribute to those who gave their lives for Spain, and a parade. It forms part of a commemorative program held between February 19th and 27th, combining military events with cultural and educational activities open to the public.

Created in 1537 by Charles I with the formation of the “Old Sea Companies of Naples,” the Spanish Marine Corps is the oldest in the world and the first organized force specifically designed to fight “on land and at sea.” Under Philip II, the first naval tercios were formed in 1566, inheriting the legacy of those earlier companies within the so-called “New Tercio of the Sea of Naples.”

Today, the Marine Infantry Force (FIM), headquartered in San Fernando (Cádiz), provides the Spanish Armed Forces with an expeditionary, versatile and high-readiness capability for crisis management. It is structured around the Marine Infantry Brigade “Tercio de Armada,” the Navy Protection Force and the Naval Special Warfare Force, with units based in Ferrol, Cartagena, Madrid, San Fernando and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Currently, Marine Corps personnel are deployed in operations in Iraq, the Indian Ocean, the North Sea, the Gulf of Guinea and Romania, as well as in the DÉDALO Expeditionary Battle Group. They also participate in security and cooperation activities in Africa, presence, surveillance and deterrence missions, and the EUMAM-UA mission supporting military training for Ukraine, contributing to international security alongside other armed forces and allied nations.

Around February 27th, Marines will take part in military and sociocultural events in all locations where units are based: Ferrol, San Fernando, Cartagena, Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

In Ferrol, home to two units of the Navy Protection Force, the Tercio del Norte and its headquarters at the Graña Naval Station, the program includes a concert by the Tercio del Norte Band at the Teatro Jofre on February 25th, and a public lecture on Spanish tercios at EXPONAV on February 26th, followed by a solemn lowering of the flag at the barracks. On February 27th, the central military ceremony will conclude with a gala dinner.

San Fernando (Cádiz), headquarters of the Marine Infantry Force and the Tercio de Armada Brigade, launched its commemorations with a solemn flag-lowering ceremony on February 19 at the historic San Carlos barracks, attended by numerous authorities and citizens. Other events include a concert in Cádiz on February 25 and a lecture on Álvaro de Bazán on February 26th.

In Cartagena, base of the Tercio de Levante and the Naval Special Warfare Force, commemorative military events will run from February 20th to 28th, including concerts, open days and an institutional lecture. The main ceremony on February 27th will also host the Friends of the Marine Corps awards. The program will conclude on February 28th with a veterans’ gathering.

The Canary Islands Security Unit in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will also hold its own commemorative events, including a solemn flag-raising ceremony on February 27th at the naval arsenal, attended by civilian and military authorities.

Finally, the Madrid detachment will participate in the capital’s commemorations, reinforcing the institutional dimension of the anniversary with concerts, lectures, sports competitions and a central military ceremony featuring a solemn flag-raising at the unit’s headquarters.