Medals for Spain's service personnel who evacuated 2,200 Afghans

ARMED Forces members who helped evacuated more than 2,200 people from Afghanistan in August to fly them safely to Spain have been given medals in recognition of their excellent humanitarian work in the face of extreme danger.

A reminder to the public that 'the Army' is not just about fighting in wars, but a crucial tool in foreign and home-soil aid work and emergency response, the actions of Spain's military hogged the headlines this summer as they put their own lives on the line to shelter Afghan families from Taliban attacks at Kabul airport, accompanied them in flight, and greeted them on arrival in Madrid to coordinate their transport to safe accommodation, ensuring they had everything they needed for the immediate future, giving them information and interpreting for them.

The highly-dangerous evacuation operation ran until August 27, with Spanish troops leading the 2,200 onto A400M military aircraft in Kabul, heading for Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Once there, they boarded planes chartered by Spanish carrier Air Europa to take them to the military base in Torrejón de Ardoz, in the Greater Madrid region.

Although Spain's foreign and defence ministries were working to ensure all Spanish nationals who wanted to leave Afghanistan were able to do so securely, the vast majority of those evacuated in August are Afghan nationals fleeing a régime which had taken over their country 20 years on.

Many are adults who would have been very young children when international troops moved into their country, and have since grown up with, and developed a life in, a society that has been much safer, more free, wealthier, and with facilities and opportunities closer to those of the west – as well as women being largely considered equal.

To this generation, a life of repression, persecution and constant fear of death and torture is alien, and their existence has been turned totally upside down.

Those who are now in Spain with their immediate families and attempting to start their lives all over again include a 17-year-old female student who has reportedly learned Spanish in just over three weeks and who is keen to study medicine at university, a student dentist who spent his 'sandwich year' in Madrid and whose dad and sister were in danger as they worked for the old Afghan government, and the captains of the women's and men's national wheelchair basketball teams, Nilofar Bayat, 28, and her husband Ramish, who have now been offered similar rôles in the sport in the Basque Country.

Some of the Afghan evacuees were interpreters and other support workers who guided Spanish troops when they were on missions in the western Asian country.

At present, Spain's government is in 'informal contact' with the Taliban through the Spanish embassy in Doha, Qatar, diplomatic sources confirm, but 'under no circumstances' will Spain formally recognise the Taliban as Afghanistan's ruling régime.

Spain's Air Force and its Land Army Special Operations unit have all been given the Aeronautical Merit Cross with 'red distinction' in a ceremony presided by defence minister Margarita Robles.

During her speech, Sra Robles remembered the Spaniards who had lost their lives during the long conflict in Afghanistan which began in late 2001, and expressed her gratitude on behalf of both countries for the vital work carried out by Spain's Forces in Kabul.

“Throughout those days in August, all of Spain was trembling along with you,” Sra Robles told the newly-decorated service personnel.

“All of Spain was, on some level, right there at the gates of Kabul airport with you.

“We feel proud as a country, we feel proud of our Armed Forces.

“This distinction is also for all the other people of Spain filled with goodwill and who believe in peace, who believe a better world is possible and who believe that we have to keep fighting against terrorism.”