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FROM HERE TO VICTORY

Thoughts about the Alpha Fusiliers Company of the Uruguayan Battalion in UNTAC (Cambodia)

On October 16, 1992, in the tremulous city of Tbeng Meanchey, a cloud of international journalist

harras the UNTAC Force Commander. “You come trusting the Uruguayans to get away from the worst of

the mission now you bring them to appease this city: how far do you want to go with them?”. The question

tightens an imaginary bow, that seems to crunch in the dense atmosphere of the tent. The veteran General

is not intimidated, he fixes his Australian glass-tipped arrow and shoots: “I came this far with the

Uruguayans and from here to victory”. The gazes turn, now persistent, towards the Alpha Fusiliers

Company Commander of the Uruguayan Battalion, strong and firm next to the General; no words are

needed . . .

“From here to Victory” is the motto encrusted in the Alpha Fusiliers Company´s flag, first

Company of the first Uruguayan Battalion, which had the task of maintaining peace in the most

conflictive areas of Cambodia, materializing our Republic´s foreign politic under the peace

mandate for UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia).

Peace mandates are developed in a determinate territory but are focused on the population. The

Cambodian people was victim of tons of bombs and mines launched in its grounds as collateral

effect of the Vietnam War; then, it was brutalized by

the cultural revolution of Khmer Rouge who marked

1975 as its “year zero”, exterminating all access to

formal education and even killing those that wore

glasses to prevent the diffusion of foreign reads. Later,

it was impoverished until the end by the corruption in

the several experiments of Soviet-style that suffered

during all the eighties.

By 1992 it was a common thought to consider peace

mandates as a series of static operations. Even today,

this perception continues roots maybe because of the

images given by the activities of the United Nations

(UN) troops deployed in peacekeeping operation in

Lebanon or Cyprus, or from our own contingents

deployed in the Multinational Force and Observers in

Sinai. In fact, a good part of the previous training for the

deployment to Cambodia in 1992 of the Uruguayan

battalion was dedicated to the installation and defense

of operational camps. Cambodian mother 1992

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Instead, the Alpha Company found itself in an extremely dynamic and unstable situation, that

demanded maneuver the UN presence in conflictive areas and prevent the factions to reinitiate

the armed conflict. This fight of wills, in a “dynamic” war, demanded an extraordinary energy and

discipline; because they were under constant enemy fire, however, the minimum and

indispensable shots were fired from our part.

The operational demands were overwhelming for moments. To achieve the success of our

mission there was an enormity of tasks to complete but a low number of troops to execute them

in the big areas of responsibility that were assigned to us. Countless incidents lead to all level

leaders were under huge pressure to make the right decisions.

Naturally, the temptation came to unify the running of the main events from a Battalion level.

But, in the middle of all this uncertainty, it was pristine that the chain of command could not be

replaced. The virtuous application of an attitude, which we call "reflexive initiative", in

conducting operations at all levels of the Alpha Fusiliers Company managed to honor our

decentralized action.

We know that the private goes to the mission bringing all he has a person: his character, his

education, his beliefs, his strengths or weakness, his fears, his loves, and plans; but above all

having his military training in consideration. Up to their deployment to the Action Zone, our

soldiers had trained in a peaceful environment, inevitably including artificial aspect, and we

risked reproducing such aspects if the mental transition from peace to a war zone was not done.

Conjuring fear was a central aspect of that transition.

Every peace operation is done in conflict area, obviously not a peaceful one; being a group task

where soldiers support each other, sometimes risking their lives, to face two main problems:

break the will of those who want to continue the armed conflict and prevent their own death,

coming back home safe and sound. Therefore, apart from the concrete realizations, it is also

important to note the organizational climate of the Alpha Fusiliers Company during the mission;

that is, the environment generated by the emotions of our personnel related to their motivation,

both in the physical and mental aspects.

In the framework of the Uruguay

Battalion, the Alpha Fusiliers Company

did its contribution to the professional

military spirit, which reaffirmed in the

successive peace mission, has been

materializing the Republic´s foreign

policy. A policy that has given

international recognition towards

Uruguay for being, not the world police,

but a traveling companion of those

peoples who summon it, sometimes

with insistence, to travel the road to

peace. Angkor monks, Cambodia

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After 25 years, the old litany from the Cambodian monks from Angkor Wat: “learning is a gift,

even if pain is your teacher”, still impulses us to review the contribution of our Company in

search of practical knowledge yet to be strengthened.

Preparation for deployment

The pre-deployment took place one month before the Company occupied its Action Zone in

Cambodia. For the good performance was substantial that most of our members had been

trained in similar ways about the military operations in small areas, in the countryside.

The personnel selection for the Uruguay Battalion prioritized those who belonged to the Anti-

terrorist sections in their respective units and who had the equivalent courses. So, it was possible

to quickly integrate troops belonging to Infantry Battalions 3 and 11, along with those from the

Mechanized Cavalry Regiment 4 and the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group 1.

We added the rightful contribution of a Brazilian war team in the jungle, who gave us an indelible

lesson on technical survivor and tactic: we learn that in the jungle there is no front or rearguard,

that there are no fix points to protect because is too easy to approach or attack with indirect fire.

And above all that in that place the will is imposed by a constant presence and with and attitude

that wins the hearts and minds of the locals.

With exception of their own family and their patriotism, we tried to put the spirit of the Alpha

Company above the other strong feelings of belonging to our personnel; like for example the

pride for their weapon and unit of origin, or their voluntary adhesion to the first Battalion in

armed mission outside the country in almost 100 years, that would be deployed to another

continent thousands of kilometers from home and that would operate to the service of World

Peace, etc.

Initially, this spirit was seen reflected in the fact that all our troops carried the “Cambodian

knife”, bought from their own pockets, and in the establishment of an image of the Virgin of

Verdun as our patron of our Quest. During the mission, the motto “From here to victory” was

added, it was even included in the Company Flag.

During all this previous training for the members of the Alpha Company, mainly in the one for

Corporals and Sergeants, the especial emphasis was put on the internalization of a German

tactical concept adopted from the Latin romantic feel and called Auftragstaktik (other tactics: in

contraposition with the normal tactics of the Prussian disciplinary ritual).

By applying this concept, it was sought to avoid the schematic interpretative feeling of the events

of the command; associating the creative activity with the risk and fomenting the will to "take

initiatives in the reflective form", in the light of the intention of each Commander. It was defined

as an error to wait for orders in moments when orders couldn´t be received or didn´t arrive in

time.

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During this period, that included a week in Thailand, we did practical exercises to improve the

procedures used during patrols, the checkpoints, actions in minefields, surveillance techniques,

operations camps, takeoff and landing sites for the aircraft, medevac, etc.

The soldiers had to assimilate the operational rules and the high level of discipline needed to

maintain calm during hard times. The Corporals and Sergeants had to conciliate what they

already knew about attacking the enemy with the new indications about preventing the use of

force between the parts in conflict, taking into consideration the importance and sensitivity of

their own tactical decisions.

The time spent in Thailand also help to take in the cultural impact West-Orient, while obtaining

more knowledge about the characteristics of our deployment and the factions in conflict in

Cambodia.

When we reasoned about the enormity of our Action Zone we understood that our Company and

its members would be forced to combine task, while some were part of a static element, for

safety reason, other would adopt a dynamic element, carrying out an intensive and aggressive

patrol.

We maintain the classic ternary organization from Infantry, with one element in Command and

Support of the Company and three fusilier sections as maneuver element. But the organization of

the sections was binary: based in two groups, each one formed by one Assault Squad and other

of Fire Support and Communications.

Looking for more flexibility and initiative, we transfer Sergeants from our Company Command to

the Sections. Each fusilier group had 12 members under a Sergeant commands. That way, one

fusilier section could be providing security for an installation or establishing checkpoints with a

group, while the other group was for example in a distance patrol.

The goodness of this organization was demonstrated from the very beginning. Our Company was

the first to deploy a Fusiliers Section in the Action Zone of the Uruguayan Battalion in Cambodia,

replacing the French Contingent at the access checkpoints to Stung Treng, city where the

Battalion Command was located, at the same time it supported the safety of water purifiers and

command facilities, sites almost isolated by how far apart they were.

Command and Support

Fusiliers Section

Fusiliers group

Assault Squad

Fire Support and Communications

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Fulfillment of the Mission

Initially, we covered an area of 120 km front and 60 km to the interior of Cambodia, along the

borders with Thailand and Laos, where mine combats were taking place and fights between the

factions in conflict, and we did it with 60 men, covering around one mile of dense jungle (around

5 km) by soldier.

Simultaneously, we covered a vast area of the jungle and rice fields along the Mekong River of 60

x40 km with 30 men and we contributed in conjunction with the other Companies to provide

security for the Headquarters of the Uruguay Battalion, located in the city of Stung Treng, with

another 30 men. The replacement every three weeks were ourselves, after resting for a few days.

Consolidated with great effort the Action Zone assigned to us, three months later we increase

our responsibilities including Tbeng Meanchey, the provincial capital, and part of the main

villages of the provincial districts, taking care of an additional 5.000 square kilometers. We had to

act very fast to control a situation of popular rebellion product of the bad performance of a UN

Battalion integrated by Pakistanis troops deployed in that area, and we managed to control the

situation that way.

Later, we had to deploy to Kratie. In this province, of 11,000 square km. that takes in the Mekong

river, we were the leaders and supervisor of the military forces of the mission and cooperative

factions. We obtained the necessary synergy with the international civilian elements and locals in

order to complete the electoral registration of the entire province, with the voluntary

participation of 95% of the qualified of its 250,000 inhabitants. For that reason, we had to ensure

the freedom of movement for the safe and repeated access even to the most remote provincial

civic centers and to materialize the presence of UNTAC in conflictive areas.

The Operational Impression

The rough meteorological conditions, imposed by the monsoon rains upon our arrival in

Cambodia, made very difficult the use of aircrafts and vehicles; this is why our initial tactical

mobility was reduced to man on foot. And this with huge difficulties, such as crossing overflowing

watercourses, that raised from 3 to 5 meters above the level of their channels in the dry season,

or the transposition of mined areas, which were randomly displaced by the course of water or

that were relocated daily by the factions in conflict, as security measure of their camps and to

cover their displacements, or to harass the civilian population or rival factions.

Our displacement to the Province of Kratie matched the ending of the long rainy season. Not only

did we benefit from a better vehicular mobility both by land and air, but also, we had at our

disposal enough fluvial means, including navy from the UN.

Despite the intense heat, the dark humidity of the jungle, the abundance of insects and

poisonous animals, tropical diseases, dehydration, etc., the main challenge was the

communication with the local population. Already from the non-verbal language, the most

common gestures and postures in Uruguay do not match in any way with the those of Southeast

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Asia. Cambodians use two types of smiles, very similar to each other, one to express joy or

pleasure, the other to demonstrate guilt or embarrassing feelings.

Basically bisyllabic, the Khmer

language, unlike the Chinese or

Vietnamese, does not use

pronunciation tones which

simplifies its learning a little. Even

so, it uses guttural sounds almost

impossible to pronounce for us

because of its 33 consonants.

With its 26 vowels, short and long,

plus the diphthongs, it reaches

about 60 different vowel sounds

to memorize.

The writing, based on Sanskrit, contains intrinsic vowels that are not written, but the costume

indicates when they should be pronounced. Although his alphabet is one of the longest in the

world, the order and structure of its sentences is similar to ours.

Completed the operational imprint, the strong return to myths and superstitions brought by the

breakdown of formal education, added to the exacerbation of ethnic conflicts and the existence

of several hundred thousand people between refugees at the borders or displaced from their

places of origin within the Cambodian grounds. In that context, it is not surprising that the

slightest outward show of anger or frustration caused alarm and anguish among Cambodians.

The golden rule was to be patient and smile.

The Operational Impact

Without doubts, the not significant operational contribution to the cause of UNTAC by the

members of the Alpha Fusiliers Company was its bold and unavoidable effort to learn and

manage the rudiments of Khmer language.

Deployed in an area of high conflict, where United Nations was not able to hire interpreters

because they fear for their lives, our soldiers day after day increased their collection with at least

a couple of sentences, sharing what they learn among themselves, usually in the afternoon

during “mate”.

In truth, the ability to communicate with the locals in an area of intense conflict was a matter of

collective survival; but, it seemed a miracle to see how our soldiers approached with persistent to

the people from the most remote villages, who communicated their hardships and deprivations;

and even provided information of very high tactical value that after being compared with other

reports upon their return to base, proved to be true and timely.

Many assigned this to the protective action of our Virgin of Verdun because it really seemed that

“they spoke in tongues”. I think that a moral genius like Rodó if seen those scenes, would have

Crossing of streams in Northern Cambodia

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said that they communicate that way because they knew the language of the poor from the

heart.

We soon find out that there was no substitute for our own local intelligence. While the

Intelligence Officer from the Battalion and the reports from UNTAC provided trustful information

about the position and intentions of the factions in conflict, nobody knew our Action Zone better

than us thanks to the help of the local population.

Gathering information came to be an essential task for all our staff. Once we understood the

local realities at stake we managed to do what was useful to contribute to the peace of the area,

multiplying our operational impact.

By gradually strengthening our contact with the population, during the six months of our

participation in the peacekeeping operation in Cambodia we carried out extensive patrols, set up

checkpoints, received and guarded the weapons that the factions surrendered, while offering

security for almost a hundred

villages, dozens of villas and a

couple of medium-sized cities.

We maintained an armed

peace, fragile but effective

between the various factions in

conflict.

As we saw, when the

disarmament and demobilization of the factions stopped being the strategy of the mission to

focus on the elections, the swore of a constitution and the consolidation of democratic national

authorities, we took total control of the military action in the Province of Kratie; allowing by that

the complete electoral registry of this strategic province, which was a big political success for

UNTAC.

Materialize operations under this imprint, assuming security in small groups during nights in the

jungle, demanded a big moral commitment from all the Alpha Fusiliers Company members.

This commitment transferred to extraordinary actions, many of them heroics, and whose

protagonists, humble and ignored, I’m sure will treasure in their hearts until their last breath.

We could bring up, just to name a few, cases such as the crossing of watercourses of more than

50 meters wide by demolished bridges except for is pillars and crossbeams, using a jeep and four

planks of 5 meters. Another one, those who volunteered to continue operating a camp from the

Company located in the middle of the conflict zone between the factions.

Another example those who provided medical care, even veterinary, in the remotest villages to

patients with severe infectious diseases. Or, those who crossed minefields by the riverbed

covered in nylon up to the chest to avoid leeches and made it to that hill where they listened and

recorded the military radio traffic of the factions. Many “others” wait for a mere recognition.

Village by the Mekong

River, Province of Kratie

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Reflexive Initiative Operations

As our own norm, the Alpha Fusiliers Company reported daily from the different camps only the

basic information necessary so that at Battalion level they knew what we were up to. We had

received a detailed guide of the mission from the General Staff and we knew without a doubt the

Commander’s Intentions; above all, we knew that our Battalion Commander trusted in us and we

felt that he would support us before any adversity.

Judging by the radial traffic with the Battalion we were almost always in “normal situation”, while

daily we exercised our own initiative with such audacity and determination that we almost

reassembled the crests of daring. At all levels of our command we assume that there is more art

than science in peacekeeping operations, characterized by ambiguity; so, we exchange the

security of having immediate control over our subordinates for the security of having their

reflexive initiative.

The confusion and inconstancy in the relationship between the factions and the Cambodian

population was a permanent source of opportunities that could only be used with a decentralized

decision-making process. Carried by that logic, we faced and solved the problem of encouraging

our soldiers to act quickly and independently during operations, without the need of specific

orders or direct supervision.

By increasing significantly our Action Zone, gigantic from the start, we reached a point of

operational pressure in which for not losing the achievements of our presence in the villages and

villas, we realized medium-reach patrol and detachment with troops at squad level. That is, 6

men led by one Corporal had to operate isolated from 3 to 6 days, at distances limited by our

mobility to provide reinforcements, maintaining only the essential radio contact.

The basic criteria to judge the performance of these young leaders in each activity was the

opportunity of their choices and their own justification. If a subordinated made a mistake did not

deserve more than a corrective comment. It was a constructive critique. Comment the outcome

of his action and the reason why he did it, that was the important part.

By getting men to justify their decisions to themselves before carrying them out, prevent that

rash decision and hasty actions were less likely to be made. This way our men were able to act

promptly - within broad and well-understood concepts - to solve the numerous logistical and

tactical problems that presented and, above all, implemented what was necessary at the

moment in order to gain the good will of people towards us and to assure their support for our

peace cause.

In that environment devoid of formula, such attitude achieved innovative solutions, incorporating

the collective creativity of the subordinates in the processes of making decisions and taking

action. Our soldiers had a personal interest in the final outcome of each operation because they

knew that they had contributed intellectually and independently to its outcome.

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Company Officer from the Alfa Fusiliers Company - Uruguay Battalion

Fusiliers Section Chiefs

Our objective was not to fight an enemy but to force the fighting factions to desist from their

warlike actions, threatening them with the possible use of force in case of an attack. Our

unrestricted and unpredictable presence in the Action Zone was a victory itself and showed the

Cambodians that we were not afraid of going anywhere to support them, adding confidence to

UNTAC. Bold maneuvers such as these, led by patrols, required intense reflection from our

Company Command while requiring the Patrol Chiefs to demonstrate their resolve and maintain

firm control.

In this context, implementing

the Company Commander’s

Intention required a strong

leadership from the Fusiliers

Sections Chiefs. Being from

different origins – Infantry,

Artillery, and Cavalry –these

young Officers exercised,

according to the idiosyncrasy of

their respective weapon, a

marked influence on the

disposition and behavior of the

troops in their sections towards

the accomplishment of that

intention; going far beyond the hierarchical and disciplinary faculties they possessed by

regulation.

Their leadership was the key to maintain the combat power of the Company. They knew well

their profession technique and tactic, their classes and privates, and the tools, such as the war

material within their reach, to make our peacekeeping operations in dangerous and tense

conditions. They were very versatile and ensured that their men carried only the equipment and

supplies necessary to reach their objectives and be physically prepared to carry out the missions

entrusted to them.

The Section Chiefs often had to act as Camp Chiefs, responsible for the construction and

improvement of them, faced with the possible shortage of food or drinkable water, as well as

medical care and welfare of their staff; all without neglecting the operational rhythm set out by

the conduct of patrols and other security task or gathering of information.

As we saw, both the commander and the subordinate shared the duty to carry out the mission,

but it was clear the greater responsibility had by the higher rank, since he had to teach, support

and trust his subordinate, in addition to correcting their well-intentioned actions but possibly

wrong at first.

The levels of trust from the Fusiliers Section Chiefs in their subordinates could be high or low,

based on their deep knowledge of their abilities, gained as result from the personal responsibility

of previous training and the effectiveness in Cambodia, to lead them during operations. They

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knew who the most capable were among them to fulfill a mission based in general orders and

they knew the possible limitations each one had to act.

The soldiers had the confidence that their leaders would support any action, materialized in

good faith, to contribute to the global effort; so they were always willing to exercise their own

judgment during periods of great pressure, without receiving additional instructions once the

action was initiated. By sincerely giving their point of view and their reasons for having

undertaken a certain course of action, they knew that they helped their Section Chiefs to

evaluate the effectiveness of their respective initial communication.

It was absolutely essential that these soldiers and young leaders stay calm, as one wrong attitude

could cause the rapid escalation of a confrontation. The clear communication of the

Commandant's Intention, such a vital element in combat, proved to be equally vital in the

maintenance of peace.

It was also indispensable to understand the limits on the pressure we had to put in the opposing

factions. Driving offensive operations without resorting to the use of force was a major challenge

at all levels of command, but especially for Section Chiefs. These brave Officers were a constant

and unshakable model of self-denial and audacity for all their subordinates.

Conjuring Fear

The normal dilemma of every human being is the uncertainty about the future. Around him

revolve working, economizing, building, reproducing, improving his education, etc. In a normal

situation that future is always near. In a peacekeeping operation, where the possible ambush or

fortuitous combat with its aftermath dies the horizon,

that uncertainty is for the immediate future. So, the

psychological mechanisms are put to maximum

tension. When merely defensive and conservative

attitudes are adopted, leaving the initiative in the

hands of adversaries, the state of uncertainty is

extreme; is this way that the sources of fear are

opened.

Soldiers have to face fear personally and in many

ways. Several methods seem irrational from a vision

of peace but work for the soldier in the field. The

most common protection is to resort to the sources of

value through magical thinking "that cannot happen

to me." Another method is not thinking about the

future or remembering the negative experiences lived

in the operations, channeling the affections through

the formula "eat, drink and enjoy" because perhaps

tomorrow we will die.

Another way to confront fear is to act tough or think you are tough. You try to get two things: to

impress others by being aggressive and "strong", while believing it, and also to drive away one's

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fear to not to feel vulnerable. We must be careful to neutralize the effect of such unreasonably

aggressive reactions from those who are afraid of accepting their vulnerability and try not to

perceive it, frightening others and looking strong.

A traditional source of value is based on the relationship that the individual has with God. In a

conflict zone, religion - no matter the creed - fulfills the function of giving spiritual strength,

peace, and solace to many soldiers before the chaos generated by armed violence. To count in

the main camp of our Company with an image of the Virgin of Verdun, adored by our Catholic

soldiers and respected like national cultural symbol by others, served like a reference for the

believers and like a talisman for several more.

As a result, we channel that cultural phenomenon that is expressed as a mechanism of magical or

supernatural defense, consisting of removing evil or protecting itself from it; that obeys to the

psychological necessity of finding some security before the unknown, perceived as dangerous

and possibly harmful. But, while fear is the catalyst in the gradual disintegration of the soldier,

the factors already mentioned in the operational imprint affected our mission.

These operational factors increased the fear effects, helping to destroy the defenses against the

tribulations of the conflict. Precisely, by the ability or not to build defenses against the

devastating fear effects, we learn in Cambodia what passes the line between the foundations of

courageous acts and cowardly performances.

There, we also find that offensive actions, in which the Commander exerts his initiative to make

peace prevail over the will to fight of the parties in conflict, help to clear the uncertainty repelling

the sources of fear. The purposes of our offensive actions included disarming and demobilizing

factions in conflict, securing ground for their free use by the civilian population, knowing the

device of the factions in conflict, and depriving them of the resources necessary to continue their

warlike actions. That offensive attitude helped to strengthen the will to defeat our soldiers,

conjuring their logical fears.

The Organizational Climate

Without a doubt, reducing the presence of fear was an essential part of the Company's

organizational climate considerations. But also, alleviating physical discomfort and giving time to

rest helped to restore the moral. Prolonged service in the countryside, eating on the run or in

unsafe areas, poor sleep and lack of physical training within the conflict zone also made a big

dent in Cambodia.

Sleeping 4 hours a day may result in an acceptable performance for weeks; but in prolonged

operations soldiers need 6 to 8 hours a day for personal hygiene, proper nutrition, drinking water

and sleeping. In addition, they should make short naps and have brief rest periods if possible; but

above all, our soldiers need to enjoy their favorite drink to raise morale and improve the

organizational climate: mate!

During the operation in Cambodia, we empirically verified that the universe of our soldiers was

reduced to its immediate surroundings. Our Company and its most intimate comrades formed

the limit of its horizon and within it, they found safety and tranquility.

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Everything beyond that limit was temporarily erased from memory, losing its value; including, at

times, the aims of our operation, and even the most cherished relatives or life in times of peace.

It contributed greatly to this feeling, the isolation that the poor international media existing at

the time imposed on our staff. Due to the lack of communications with Uruguay, our company

developed an internal mail system between its camps. The noble, sincere and enthusiastic letters

of our soldiers resisted the passage of time, keeping more than a hundred of them today.

Our comradeship, in its most basic form, was a defensive mechanism that made it easier for

soldiers to control their fears, alleviate their loneliness and endure the setbacks. In its highest

form, it was a challenge, for it was linked to the fear of the soldier not to live up to his

responsibilities to the comrades.

Paradoxically, our soldiers obtained great strength from the friendship of their comrades, but

they recognized that this must be reciprocal and they chose to consciously stay with them, even

at the risk of their own lives if necessary. They perfectly knew that leaving their positions during

the march or the trench to save their own lives would expose their comrades to greater danger.

That loyalty to the Company was the essence of our morale throughout the operation and the

key to success in our boldest offensive maneuvers.

We were fortunate because our leaders at every level shared the need to earn the respect and

even the affection of their squad, group or section, as much as the other soldiers did but also

understood that as military leaders they should direct their comrades in operations, ordering

tasks that could eventually lead to death.

Obviously, the humanity of the soldiers did not lead

them to follow anyone that way. It was necessary for

our leaders to show a deep affection for what the

soldier is and the role he plays, and most of them

succeeded. In the course of the long operations that

demanded our campaign in Cambodia it was

impossible to fake that affection, there were plenty of

opportunity for the soldiers to discover whether their

leaders' interest was real or pretended.

Our soldiers were always ready to follow the offensive

operations to those leaders who really "took care of

their lives" and demonstrated it by their presence and

their actions. It is appropriate to recognize that,

fortunately, we had many of those leaders within the

Alpha Fusiliers Company.

At the level of our Command, I was well aware of the

need to make the Company Commander's presence

felt; difficult task because of the extent of the Action

Zone.

Company Commander during “briefing”

with the UNTAC Force Commander

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To achieve this, I never tried to command through the radio or, even less, to centralize the

actions. I took advantage of everything to visit the many places where we operated and

personally participate in the critical sites of the riskiest operations.

Once I reached the detachment, I did not speak of big plans or tried to bring all the solutions; I

wanted to listen. I preferred to maintain a human conversation, in deep, with some of our men

there; when leaving, of course, everyone would want to know what we spoke about.

It would not have been possible to implement my command in Cambodia without the

courageous collaboration of the Lieutenant-in-Chief and the Sergeant in Charge of the Company.

They, more than being my right and left arms, as they say, were my brothers in arms. In their

respective spheres of influence, a Lieutenant of Lieutenants and the other Sergeant of Sergeants

led to execute the intention of the Company Commander, consulted with them, not based on my

words but in what they

knew nested in my spirit.

Even in their youth, these

two leaders served as

true Infantry veterans.

There was no task that

they could not do or

teach, nor risk that they

did not want to face. They contributed to forge the organizational climate of the Company,

embodying with their actions and their constant example the mood of the march of the

Uruguayan Infantry "We do not care how many they are/ the ones that are fighting here or there

/ we do not count or measure them/ because we shine when they are more."

Conclusions

We never have to allow that our troops go to peacekeeping operations with the expectations of

finding peaceful circumstances. Neither, we have to lost sight of the fact that every Infantry unit

assigned to an operation has to be capable of fighting. The high tactical performance obtained in

Cambodia assures to the new sons of the Latin romanticism defenders of the Auftragstaktik that

proclaim a formation and instruction of quality and a coherent planning, accompanied by a

reflective execution; all of it in a context of decentralized leadership, responsible for its decisions

and actions at all level.

Paradoxically, camaraderie is of such importance that it constitutes the essence of the soldier's

existence, he is willing to die for his comrades at the same time that he depends on their support

for his own survival. By glorifying the positive attributes of leadership, it is overlooked that

leaders of a peacekeeping operation must confront in their men the fear, death, operational

Sargeant in Charge of the

Company during a patrol in

the Provicne of Kratie.

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fatigue, and particular tribulations of each mission. These factors are as integral to the military

spirit as tactical performance and combat skills. Assuming it, it reconciles the human with the

conflict and facilitates the maintenance of the peace.

By their integrity before the tribulations, their courageous performance and their compassion

with the Cambodian people, the members of the Alpha Fusiliers Company gained the affection of

all of those who could watch them in action. Brutalized for decades by opprobrious regimes, the

Cambodian population was evidently surprised to see that it was possible to pawn soldiers for

the common good. The letters of our soldiers faithfully prove the facts and feelings of the

moment. They are only waiting for the inspired pen to bring to the seat of public honor the

chivalrous value of their commitment to those, the most defenseless in Cambodia.

Seeing in perspective, the words of General Sanderson, UNTAC Force Commander, were

prophetic. From that initial uncertainty about our participation in peacekeeping operations,

misunderstood and even branded as mercenaries by own and others, to the public recognition

from the highest national authorities in the headquarters of the General Command of the Army

there has certainly been a victorious march of 25 years. We came from visiting the most recent

meters with veterans of the first Uruguayan Battalion, with the certainty of being soon surpassed

by our young comrades serving the noble cause of peace around the world.

Several other peacekeeping missions are fully accomplished, leaving the professionalism,

altruism, and compassion of the men and women of the National Army at the highest point. In

addition to the recent recognition of the Uruguayan Parliament, the repeated and effective use

of our force in the materialization of the Republic foreign policy is also evident. This, according to

the national and regional security and defense principles of modern times, has led Uruguay to

occupy a position of preference in the international arena, including the United Nations Security

Council.

At the moment of my departure from Cambodia, I delivered to General Sanderson a Company

flag, he placed it in his office of next to the flag of his Australian Regiment. He then took her with

him upon assuming his position as Governor of the Western Australian Territory. There, he had

born and shared the exploration and artisanal hunting in the desert territories, using the bow and

its famous glass-tipped arrows. I knew that even today he keeps our flag in his house. Soldiers

things. . .

As a Catholic, I took the Virgin of Verdun as our captain and guide during the operation, but I

especially emphasize the gallardy of the comrades of other confessions and atheists, who

respected this cultural symbol for the sake of the cohesion of the Alpha Fusiliers Company I

always felt proud of being with all of them, no matter their creed or any other personal imprint.

Their selfless dedication during the assigned tasks, make me think of them among the most

worthy professionals in arms. Mi biggest reward is their permanent memory!