From Monday until today, a section of the army Palma 47 Regiment, has been on Ibiza to give “support, in case of emergency” and to carry out an environmental control, within the Plan Vigilante Balear. Also for the geographical reconnaissance of the island, since “there are no units physically” displaced, said 25 year old Lieutenant Gonzalo MartÃn Posadas yesterday in the army old barracks of Sa Coma. “There has been no problem on the street or anything” during these days, added Posadas, who has been stationed in Palma for three years.
“We have knowledge of orography, but we are not experts in which areas are more prone to suffer fires. That’s why we ask the civil authorities what their priorities are. The areas where we deploy our troops are where there is no road access. If there is a road, the vehicles have the capacity to move”, explained the commander to Diario de Ibiza.
The unit that has come to Ibiza consists of 30 people and a team of seven army vehicles, in addition to the support in health, mechanics and personnel for food and other logistical issues. Lieutenant Posadas detailed that they have been in Sant Antoni, Sant Vicent, Sant Josep, Sant Jordi, Santa Eulà ria… “We have already almost all the island moderately collected” with data. They visit the areas of the island that the authorities consider of greater risk. “In Sant Antoni, for example, they told us to go through the Santa Agnès road, which is a fairly forested area”, added the military commander.
Their program on Ibiza was based on their installation in Sa Coma on Monday, a foot patrol on Tuesday and another motorized patrol on Wednesday and Thursday mornings around the island. “We’ve been here several times, we get briefed on how the area is and where we want to go and where we don’t want to go,” the commander told the media as the team conducted a TC3 exercise, on “combat health care”.
Army training drills
This exercise is an army drill that consists of stabilizing a comrade when he is wounded: “When we have a casualty in combat, either from fire, mines or grenades, it will take some time for a medic to come, so nurses and doctors will not be with us. At that moment we have to stabilize the wounded and, while we do it and until the medical personnel arrive, we have to complete a series of established procedures: first of all, suppress the threat because otherwise we will have more casualties, then we have to get the comrade out of danger and start the medical procedure, such as controlling bleeding and breathing injuries (with air in and out)”, informed the lieutenant.
“Fire, fire!”
Between shouts of “fire, fire, fire!” and “cover here!”, the team members practiced in full combat uniform and armed with rifles, which can weigh more than three kilograms. The army commander, also dressed in uniform, responded with laughter to the question of how they withstood the high temperatures: “We survived the heat, like everyone else at this time of year”.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.