The deterioration of military equipment, the main cause of death in the armed forces.

On November 22, 2001, a few minutes before 9 am, a Pampa IA-63 launched a 250-kilo bomb as part of a training session. The device had to explode on the ground, but it failed. A group consisting of Captain Eduardo Alberto Galetti, Corporal Hector Nicolás Rocha, First Master Jorge Roberto Sosa and Deputy NCO Héctor Oscar Barrios went to the scene. . They had to surround the trotyl bomb and detonate it from a distance, for which they were trained. The artifact exploded earlier and cost them their lives.

In September 2015, something unthinkable happened for aviation. In the 5th Air Brigade at Villa Reynolds, in San Luis, a Douglas A4-AR Fightinghawk Douglas aircraft was undergoing a technical review on the platform (photo) when it began. to move unexpectedly until it hits the shed. master master Luis David Peñaloza, who worked in the ship's cabin.

In 2008, second tactical tactical diver Federico Alexis Cacciabue was parachuted from a plane flying over Miramar. The artifact is not open. When he managed to release the auxiliary parachute, it was too late to sufficiently mitigate the impact, which cost him his life at 37 years old.

The previous cases are part of the official archives of the Navy, Air Force and Army listing dozens of deaths for various reasons, ranging from road accidents to electric shocks, aircraft accidents, gun explosions, murders, landslides. mountains, drowning, cardiac arrest during training, an unexpected blow with a shed and the falling roof of a casino.

THE NATION he investigated deaths recorded in the armed forces between 2001 and last year as a result of requests for access to public information, public documents, judicial investigations and journalistic reporting. Consultations were also held with former officials, relatives of the victims and members of different hierarchies of the military organization, who in any case asked to keep their names in reserve.

The thickest conclusion shows that between the three institutions, 112 people died while they were either discharging their professional duties or were preparing to do so. It should be noted that in 23 cases, there were accidents called initinere because it is known that the home is transferred to work and that it comes back. In 75 cases, the problems were likely related to the condition of the equipment, directly or indirectly. Are not included in this account, for example, the case of a soldier killed, a suicide and a mountain detachment.

To previous figures, we must add the 44 crew members of the ARA San Juan, which are presented separately, as the fact is still under investigation by the courts. In this case, the number of victims reaches 156 people.

The Navy's case has a paradoxical varnish: up to the tragedy of the submarine, this force seemed the safest at work, with three deaths since 2001, one of which was due to the fall of ## 147 ## 39, one plane and two others, parachute failure.

In no case did the deaths mentioned occur in warlike clashes. The figures seem to corroborate the claim that the military profession is a job in danger despite the fact that Argentina is going through a period of peace since the end of the Falklands war in 1982. This is a common idea among members and leaders of the armed forces. security, relatives consulted and even politicians.

The causes of this affection are, on the other hand, more varied. Some criticize the precariousness of the military equipment derived from bad administrative procedures of various governments, such as those of Néstor and Cristina Kirchner, or adjustment policies implemented by the State, which are recognized by the reports of the direction of Fernando De La Rua flag raised by Mauricio Macri.

Official records also show that some claims go beyond the state of the equipment. Defense Minister Oscar Aguad outlined this in an interview with the Bahian FM La Compbad 24. "We have armed forces that have spent long periods without training or training, for example, the submarine fleet. was five years old without sailing and it's not free, "he said.
THE NATION He consulted with his spokespersons, but at the end of this note, there was no official response.

The most tragic year for the security forces was 2001. The navy and army did not kill, but the air force lost 14 people. Until 2018, a total of 34 uniformed personnel were killed in aircraft accidents – not just this force, but mainly -, which is the largest unnnatural cause of death among military. They take 30% of cases, followed by the first accidents (21%) and routes in working time.

Over the past 18 years, the Air Force has lost 38 people as a result of accidents. In most cases, it's a plane crash, but there are several reasons.

Explosions and gun deaths killed 12 people. To complete the list, parachute failures, bumps and health problems that end up lasting hours of service.

There are also cases that are close to the imponderable. An example: the area of ​​Santiago, 34 years old and with two children, was a lieutenant in the body of grenadiers. He used to compete with horses Remonta Nunhil and Perdigón. He had dedicated his life to this work, as corroborates Linkedin's profile that is still available, although it did not succeed him to avoid that during a cross-country test carried out in October 2016, it is fallen from the animal. The Red Cross volunteers were nearby, but the accident was so severe that they could do nothing to prevent his death.

Lower levels have the worst chance. In 18 years, 25 soldiers and 14 corporals died, although 13 sergeants also lost their lives.

With 71 people, the army is leading losses, which seems logical if we take into account that it is the largest organization among the three with 51,309 people, according to a decision published in the Official Journal in 2018.

Unexpected death

For specialists and members of the force, the number of road accidents occurring in military vehicles opens the door to the issue of the state of the units. There are barrels, collisions and a crush to try to repair a mechanical failure that cost the life of Corporal Julio César Demarco, 32, in Pigüé. Beside his companion, he was driving a Mercedes-Benz truck carrying a tank in the trailer. Marco climbed under him to straighten a hose that had bent and altered the braking system. The trailer moved, crushed his chest and head.

Sebastián Nahuel Rodríguez Camparín suffered a similar misfortune. In 2004, Hector Diego Torres received the electric shock of an airplane. Sergeant Fabio Héctor Vallejos blew up a grenade in 2007 in Puerto Santa Cruz. and the youngest Maximiliano Sandoval suffered an explosion during a shooting session. The result was fatal in all four cases, as in the case of Luis Alberto Monzón, a 50-year-old badistant sergeant who, in March 2013, fell from the roof of the NCO's casino in Paso De Los Libres (Corrientes). that he was trying to repair.

Three ambulances arrived, police officers and a provincial helicopter. They could not save his life either. It arrived in March of last year.

Second Lieutenant Juan Manuel Casuso was 25 years old when he died crushed by a tank during military operations on the Azul field, in the province of Buenos Aires. At least, this is what his comrades remember, although the Army documents describe more briefly that it was a road accident due to the overturning of the military vehicle. It was in September 2010. Similar events are repeated.

On August 26, 2006, something happened that could not be clarified with precision according to the official army records that saw the
THE NATION. About 30 trainees accompanied by instructors conducted a survival exercise on Tacuara rafts in Paraná. One of them was the first Corporal Gustavo Orlando Villalba, 26 years old. They hit the tow barge Cavallier V. His body never appeared.

Nature also played its game. The first master Juan Gabriel Torres was the guide of the patrol that went in 2017 on the volcano Lanín. Andinista knew, could not with a detachment that cost him his life. His companions lowered the body of 3200 meters altitude.

Disinvestment story

Documents reviewed by
THE NATION, developed in the governments that administered the state from 2001 to last year, show the budgetary difficulties and their effects on the daily functioning of the armed forces.

The investment account is a memory of the previous year that the executive sends to the legislature in each period. In 2001, the Air Force Staff maintained that compliance with the air activity plan (hours of flight) for fighter jets, transport, training, liaison and helicopters was reaches 95.2% in programmed. Although activity increased in the fourth quarter "due to the use of lower-cost weapons, the totality of what had been programmed due to budget cuts was not achieved", acknowledges he.

It was the time of Fernando De La Rúa, an economic crisis that was approaching and a political frenzy to reduce spending in order to avoid the exit of convertibility.

Air Force leaders regretted in writing that maintenance units were forced to intervene because of equipment failure because the stock exchange was insufficient. In other words, parts were removed from some ships to put them on when they broke. "This increases the number of unplanned jobs and, as a result, the scheduling of maintenance hours is subject to random factors," state reports indicate in 2001.

Budget cuts have also meant saving electricity, gas, telephony and business days. Layoffs of senior executives due to retirements, withdrawals and resignations were also not made.

Similar problems are repeated over time. In 2003, the first year of the administration of Néstor Kirchner, the Air Force celebrated in writing that the execution of the plan of activity in the airplanes and helicopters had allowed to keep close to "45% of military airmen" of the institution. And he felt that, even if they did not do the best training, the hours spent on the flight activity were "meeting the objectives with acceptable safety margins".

Again, it was necessary to spend more time than expected on unplanned tasks, such as reprocessing of aircraft, engines and components, which increased working hours.

In 2004, the force found that the hours of work for maintenance "increased due to insufficient stock of spare parts and aircraft equipment in service, which required the dismantling of aircraft inspected with aircraft components. other machines being inspected to allow their maintenance. " quick return to service. "

The paper-based difficulties in air force records are repeated in the field of operations. On August 25, 2005 at 12:10 pm, a Hughes 500 helicopter from the Córdoba Military Aviation School fell to the ground on the Córdoba runway. The pilot, Captain Federico Marta Barragán, Assistant Engineer NCO José Luis Ramón Martínez and second-year cadets Roxana Soledad Martínez and Pablo Valente pbaded away.

In September 2015, something unthinkable happened for aviation. In the 5th Air Brigade at Villa Reynolds in San Luis, a Douglas A4-AR Fightinghawk Douglas aircraft was undergoing a technical review on the platform when it began to move unexpectedly until it hits the shed. David Peñaloza, who worked in the cabin of the ship.

Also by a knock on the door of the shed that failed, but at the base of Marambio (Antarctica), Wednesday, June 8, 2016, the first corporal Gustavo Daniel Capuccino died. I was 30 years old.

The official archives are generous in examples of plane deaths caused during baptisms and commemorative events.

Training, another controversy

Some losses appear to be the product of human error and were part of a legal proceeding. On September 19, 2001, a cadet flight for the first year cadets began at 9:04 am. They were three planes. The tip of the left wing of one of them hit the building of the control tower and then crashed. Deputy Mayor Ernesto Guillermo Cooke and Cadet Carlos Nicolás Díaz Berastegui pbaded away. The judge determined that the responsibility lay with Brigadier Agustín Alfredo Míguez, director of the Institute and pilot of the guiding plane.

The diagnosis of the problems that cause death in the security forces is shared by the political and military leadership. An ex-official who participated in the decisions concerning the equipment of the forces formulated things as follows: "The origin of the problem is budgetary, because there are not enough ships to fly or sail, there is not enough hours of flight or navigation, this creates problems for crews to resolve high-risk situations. "

This common look translates into decisions. When calculating average management fees, the Macri government purchased aircraft, but gave priority to the purchase of training ships before the war. "In case of war, you can buy airplanes [de guerra], but not the drivers. To have them, they have to train, "explained another person who worked on the decision.

During his stay in the Chamber of Deputies, Julio Martínez, who later became the Prime Minister of Defense of Mauricio Macri, declared that "out of the 230 pilots that the air force had at the beginning of 2007, about 55 They asked to retire because of lack of professional encouragement due to lack of working means ".

The Army also shows the under-achievement of the objectives, even if it describes it with less frontality. In 2008, for example, it did not respect the planned investment projects and carried out one-third of the tactical exercises planned in the field under the heading "Joint operational capacity and combined contribution".

For 2011, for example, it had been proposed to advance in the transformation of a Bell UH-1H helicopter into Huey II, but it did not make nearly any steps in that direction. In 2014, he had to perform 3.97% of this task (in accordance with the goal of physical progress stipulated in the investment account for this year). It rose 0.41%.

Another example is Fabricaciones Militares, which depends on the Ministry of Defense but provides the forces. In 2014, he had a budget of $ 1,552 million. He has completed it, but has not nearly achieved all the physical targets set by the state for this year.

Members of the armed forces of different ranks consulted by
THE NATION They claimed that the antipathy they had generated towards the government through the efforts of Néstor and Cristina Kirchner led to excessive disinvestment.

The lack of spare parts has broadened the vocabulary of forces. The military calls "cannibalization" of "sacrificing" a unit – it could be a plane or a car, for example – to take the pieces and put them to another. A member of the armed forces grumpily admitted that he had had to "sacrifice" two Hummers – a 4×4 military vehicle – to keep six others in operation, much the same as what happened. spent with the usual trucks for transfers. The so-called Unimog goes back to the '60s. Macri's management has encouraged his repowering, which has a lead of about 40%.

Until the ARA San Juan, none of the deaths of the Navy between 2001 and 2018 had occurred in the water, the environment that gave its name to the sea. Organization, but because of aircraft problems or parachutes.

In October 2007, an MC32 Aermacchi aircraft from the first naval air strike squadron had an incident during a training mission. Lieutenant Commander Gustavo Alejandro Mbadazza and Lieutenant Commander Avio Julio Agustín Alonso were deported when they saw the state of emergency, but the injuries caused the death of Alonso, more late in a health center in Punta Indio.

In 2017, the main tactical diver Julio Martín Acosta died for a similar reason. He was doing a training exercise at Comandante Espora Air Base, near Bahía Blanca. He jumped out of the helicopter and, according to the Navy's archives, died as a result of a parachute failure.

Like the army and the air force, the navy was struggling to modernize its equipment. We see it, for example, in the reconstruction of the icebreaker Admiral Irizar, an icon of his fleet. In 2011, he had $ 82.14 million for this work, according to official records. He had to perform 32% of the task and, although he had used all the funds, he had managed to finish with 16%. Something similar, but more pronounced, was repeated in 2014: $ 76.14 million was available and almost all funds were used. A 4% repair was completed while the goal was to reach 12%.

The senior commanders of the armed forces make a face before answering the question about the condition of the equipment. Without them, training becomes impossible. They argue that at a slower pace than expected at the beginning of the term, Macri's management has moved forward on issues that have been neglected for years. Last May, five super modern aircraft (SEM) arrived, which the government bought from France, and three Pampa units (produced in Córdoba by Fadea) were added. Added radars, submachine guns, mortars, rifles, guns, pilot helmets, among others.

In perspective, those who have died in the past 18 years represent almost double the number of victims charged by the San Juan ARA and more than double if they count the total number of deaths in hours spent at work. They are also important compared to what happens in other countries. For example, between 2014 and 2016, Argentina had similar levels to those of Spain, according to data from the Ministry of Defense of that country. Although, in the latter case, most of the deaths occurred within the borders, their forces are also carrying out tasks in riskier countries, such as Iraq, Lebanon and Lebanon. 39; Afghanistan.

Other references show that wearing a uniform is dangerous not only in the country but also in the region. In Chile, for example, 17 soldiers died in December 2006 because the vehicle carrying them was off-track and there are examples of air tragedies, but among the more recent cases, there are more of them linked to to snow problems, for example: rather than with the equipment itself, what it looks like in Argentina.

THE NATION He consulted on this subject with former ministers of defense of various presidencies. Everyone has apologized for their opinions, for various reasons. Horacio Jaunarena (Raúl Alfonsín and Fernando De La Rúa) explained that he was dedicated to studying medicine to take care of his health and to Nilda Garré (Néstor Kirchner), under the supervision of his mother. Martinez (Macri) is excused because he is the predecessor of Aguad and has avoided commenting on defense.