The Naval Infantry Command, also known as the Naval Infantry of the Navy of the Argentine Republic and generally referred to in English as the Argentine marines are the amphibious warfare branch of the Argentine Navy and one of its four operational commands. The Argentine marines trace their origins to the Spanish Naval Infantry, which took part in conflicts in South America in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Argentine marines took part in various conflicts of the nineteenth and twentieth century, notably the War of the Triple Alliance and the Falklands War. The marines are considered to have been among the best Argentine combat units present in the Falklands. The most recent war in which Argentine naval infantry took part was the Gulf War of 1990. Today Argentine naval infantry are frequently deployed on UN peace-keeping missions.
History
The Marines trace their origins in Spanish Naval Infantry, at the time of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. After the Argentine War of Independence, it was under joint administration of the Argentine Army and the Argentine Navy. A 1946 law placed the marines solely under the jurisdiction of the Navy.
Landing in Monterey, California, now part of the United States : 200 men commanded by Hipólito Bouchard, 130 of whom were armed with guns and 70 with lances, disembarked one league from the fort of Monterrey, in a creek hidden from the heights. The fort resisted only very weakly, and after an hour-long battle the Argentine flag was raised.
IMARA routinely train in joint exercises with similar units of Brazil, Chile and the United States.
Current deployments
IMARA has two Infantry Companies deployed in Haiti and Cyprus under the auspices of MINUSTAH and UNFICYP respectively in joint operations with the Argentine Army and Argentine Air Force. A small platoon was also deployed in Serbia/UN Province Kosovo, attached to Argentine Engineers Company, which was in turn attached to the Italian Brigade. Several Marine Officers and NCO's are routinely deployed as military observers for the UN.
Structure
Argentine Marines have the same rank insignia and titles as the rest of the Argentine Navy, and are trained in the same institutions for officers and NCOs. Until the 21st century the Marine CorpsBasic School provided post-graduate officer and basic enlisted training.
