The army reunited to the graduating class before going to the Falklands

Members of the Malvinas Islands Promotion, including the current Chief of Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Claudio Pasqualini, returned to the Military College for a tribute.

They are the ones who graduated from the institution on April 7, 1982, five days after the operation launched by the military government to recover the Malvinas Islands, because they had to badociate with the various units engaged in the war of the South Atlantic.

"Today is a very special day as we commemorate the 37th anniversary of our early release following the recovery of the Malvinas Islands," Lieutenant-General Claudio Pasqualini told LA NACION during his meeting with clbadmates at Military College.

At the promotion 113, called Falkland Islands, they belong to the three generals having more seniority in the exercise of the army: the own Pasqualini, now chief of state – Major General Héctor Horacio Prechi, deputy chief of the force, and Aldo Daniel Sala, commander of training and recruitment of the army. Like his colleagues, they were received by the current director of the Military College, Brigadier General Roberto Ariel Agüero.

In 1982, nothing was waiting for the young people who participate in this promotion to leave prematurely and fight with the Malvinas. "We were fourth year cadets, completing our studies and, without any warning, we got up on the morning of April 2 and learned that the Malvinas Islands had recovered." We felt tremendous emotion like all Argentines, without imagining that many of my comrades were going to fight the islands, "Pasqualini said.

The following days, they began to learn that they could be received in advance to swell the ranks of the fighters. "On April 3, the first rumors began circulating that we were going to receive our diploma to complete the military units and on April 4, we were confirmed as a second lieutenant on the committee and spread all over the country." , revealed the head of the army.

On April 7, 1982, 238 cadets graduated from the Military College. Of these, 49 were sent to the Malvinas to join the various units that fought and many others were mobilized for the benefit of Patagonian units, in case the fighting reached the continent. "49 of my comrades fought in the Falklands as a fourth-year cadet and fought very well, and they really had a heroic performance," Pasqualini said.

In 1982, Cadet Pasqualini led his team-mates as Malvinas promotion flag bearer, having obtained the highest average among the 238 graduates. And today, in 2019, General Pasqualini continues to lead the litter, but as head of the army. Pasqualini states that "being the flag bearer of the promotion was only one circumstance, as there were a lot of very good cadets".

Finally, the promotion 113 could officially end in December 1982. "At the end of the year, we returned to the Military College for the last discharge and the 49 fighters who fought in the Falklands were received as Veterans, "said the army chief.

This commemorative act brought together all the graduates of the 113 clbad. The veteran of the Malvinas, Colonel Esteban Vilgre La Madrid, told LA NACION: "Returning to the Military College is always a pleasure, we have a debt outstanding to complete the As we went to the Falklands War, we wounded the dead and were honored for their heroic deeds.In each of the battles that the Argentinean army led to the Falklands, there was a second lieutenant during the promotion of the 113th.That marked a lot. "

Colonel Diego Alejandro Salaverri Fernández explained that "the promotion 113 is very special because he had his diploma with the conflict and had to advance his degree.Another characteristic is that only two graduates promotions have a name: the promotion Islas Malvinas and the Centennial Promotion 100. Currently, there are 1,197 officer cadets in the Military College, of whom 232 are women and 965 are men.