11
Dec
One of the Most Prestigious Awards Given to Foreign Military Nationals
On December 4th, the US Ambassador in Madrid, James Costos, traveled to the Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Center of Excellence (C-IED COE) facilities located in Hoyo de Manzanares for a visit and to bestow upon Colonel Santiago San Antonio Demetrio the US Armed Forces Legion of Merit medal as recognition for his work as the first C-IED COE director.
The US Ambassador and the US Military Attaché were greeted by the current C-IED COE director, Colonel Juan Gomez Martin, his staff, and the national representatives of each of the country members of the Center.
After visiting the facilities, where they were able to take a look at the most used improvise explosive devices in the various theaters of operation, Ambassador Costos bestowed the medal upon Colonel San Antonio. Members of Colonel San Antonio´s family as well as the members of the Center were present at this ceremony.
The Legion of Merit is not only one of the most prestigious condecorations awarded by the US Armed Forces to foreign military personnel, but also the first one created specifically for this purpose. In order to be awarded, it requires the approval of the United States President.
During his speech, Ambassador Costos highlighted both, the work of the Center of Excellence to counter the improvised explosive devices, and its contribution to decrease the number of civilian and military casualties caused by these types of devices.
