2018 Chilean Military Parade
| 2018 Chilean Military Parade | |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 September 2018 |
| Venue | O'Higgins Park |
| Locations | Santiago, Chile |
| Country | Chile |
| Participants | 8,948 military and police personnel |
The 2018 Chilean Military Parade was held at O'Higgins Park in Santiago on 19 September 2018 to commemorate the Day of the Glories of the Army.
Presided over by President Sebastián Piñera, the military parade involved 8,948 personnel from the Chilean Armed Forces and Carabineros de Chile.[1][2][3]
The parade commemorated the bicentenary of the Battle of Maipú and included historical units from the Chilean and Argentine armies. Other features of the edition included increased female participation and the first public presentation of the Chilean Air Force's new MH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.[4][5]
Background
[edit]The annual military parade is held on 19 September as the principal ceremony commemorating the Day of the Glories of the Army. The 2018 edition was the first held during Piñera's second presidency and coincided with the bicentenary of the Battle of Maipú, fought on 5 April 1818.[4][6]
To commemorate the anniversary, the Argentine Army sent a 13-member historical delegation from the 1st Infantry Regiment "Patricios" and the General San Martín Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers. The Chilean Army also prepared several historical formations representing different periods of its history.[1][4]
The parade also coincided with the bicentenary year of the Chilean Navy, which prepared an expanded participation including its Special Forces Command and naval aviation.[7]
Parade
[edit]Piñera arrived at O'Higgins Park accompanied by Defence Minister Alberto Espina aboard the presidential Ford Galaxie. The ceremony opened with a cueca performance and the traditional presentation of the Club de Huasos Gil Letelier, accompanied on this occasion by Argentine gauchos.[8]
Major General Juan Eduardo González, commander of the presenting forces, subsequently requested presidential authorization to begin the march-past. The military academies of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Carabineros opened the parade.[1][2]
A total of 8,948 personnel participated: 3,684 from the Chilean Army, 2,368 from the Chilean Navy, 1,296 from the Chilean Air Force and 1,600 from Carabineros.[1][2]
Women had an increased presence in the parade. Defence Minister Alberto Espina reported 1,268 female participants, while Captain Mabel Sánchez became the first woman to command a company of cadets from the Military School during the ceremony.[8][9]
The Navy participated with more than 2,300 personnel. Its contingent included the Arturo Prat Naval Academy, Naval Polytechnic Academy, Grumetes School, Special Forces Command, Amphibious Expeditionary Brigade and Naval Reserve. A naval canine section participated for the first time, while naval aviation returned with aircraft and helicopters as part of the Navy's bicentenary commemorations.[10][7]
The Air Force's presentation included the public debut of three of its newly acquired MH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The aircraft flew over O'Higgins Park as part of the aerial component of the parade.[5]
The Army commemorated the bicentenary of the Battle of Maipú with historical formations including the 1810 Infantry Grenadier Detachment, the 1905 Infantry Company, the historical 4th Company of the 6th Chacabuco Regiment and a mounted Krupp artillery battery. Battle standards representing units that participated in the events of 1818 were also presented.[1]
The Argentine historical contingent marched alongside the Chilean formations as part of the bicentenary commemoration.[4][9]
Among the foreign military guests were Argentine Army chief of staff Brigadier General Claudio Ernesto Pasqualini, Brazilian Army chief of staff Major General Paulo Humberto Cesar de Oliveira and Chief of Staff of the United States Army General Mark Milley.[1]
The parade lasted approximately three hours.[8]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Gran Parada Militar 2018" (in Spanish). Chilean Army. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Rodríguez, Sergio (19 September 2018). "Tambores mayores: la primera cara de la Parada Militar 2018". La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ "Amplia participación de mujeres marcó la Parada Militar". Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). 19 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Presidente Piñera asiste a la Parada Militar: "En muchas ocasiones a lo largo de nuestra historia, nuestro Ejército ha demostrado el heroísmo y el amor por la patria"" (in Spanish). Presidency of Chile. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Black Hawk debutaron en Parada Militar" (PDF). Fuerza Aérea de Chile (in Spanish). No. 276. 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ "Canciller Ampuero asiste a la Parada Militar en honor a las Glorias del Ejército" (in Spanish). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Gálvez, Camila (19 September 2018). "Mayor presencia femenina y conmemoración de 200 años de la Batalla de Maipú destacan como hitos de la Parada Militar". Emol (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Más de 8 mil efectivos desfilan en Parada Militar 2018". Diario y Radio Universidad de Chile (in Spanish). 19 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
