The Colombian Naval Infantry, also referred to as Colombian Marines ( es, Infantería de Marina Colombiana), is the
marine force of the
Colombian National Armada
)
, colors=
, march= ''"Viva Colombia, soy marinero"''
, mascot=
, battles= Battle of Lake Maracaibo Thousand Days War (Civil war) Colombia-Peru War World War II Korean War Colombian Armed Conflict Operation Atalanta
, notable_commanders= José ...
. The 53,123-member
Colombian Marine Infantry is organized into a single division with four brigades (one amphibious assault brigade and three riverine brigades), each with several battalions plus numerous small security units.
History
The Naval Infantry is a constituent part of the Navy whose origins date back to the wars of independence. Today's Colombian Marines trace their heritage and military traditions from the Gran Colombia Marine Corps raised in 1822, by orders of Major General Francisco de Paula Santander, with Captain Diego Antonio García, who was appointed commander of the 6th Marine Company raised that year, being appointed Commandant that October.
Raised by an order from President Dr. Alfonso López Pumarejo on January 12, 1937, The Colombian Marines started out as a 120-strong Marine Company, located on Naval Base Cartagena.
On March 8, 1940, the 1st Marine Battalion was raised, with three companies to cover Bolivar, Putumayo and the San Andres Islands, then in 1943 was assigned to Buenaventura, Barranquilla, Puerto Leguizamo and the eastern plains.
In 1944, a heavy weapons company was raised and the battalion was moved to facilities adjacent to the San Pedro Claver convent in Cartagena. With the advent of
La Violencia
''La Violencia'' (, The Violence) was a ten-year civil war in Colombia from 1948 to 1958, between the Colombian Conservative Party and the Colombian Liberal Party, fought mainly in the countryside.
''La Violencia'' is considered to have begu ...
, in 1952 the Marines were reassigned to the Eastern Naval Force due to the appearance of subversives in this area, and in a year, with the transfer of personnel from the
National Army of Colombia
The National Army of Colombia ( es, Ejército Nacional de Colombia) is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 361,420 active personnel as of 2020, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, an ...
, the number of personnel serving increased.
In July 1955, thanks to the instruction of officers and NCOs in the United States in the United States Naval Academy,
The Basic School
The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines". The Basic School is located at Camp Barrett, Quantico, Vir ...
of the United States Marine Corps and the
United States Marine Corps School of Infantry
The School of Infantry (SOI) is the second stage of initial military training for enlisted United States Marines after recruit training. Since the initial training pipeline is divided between coasts, Marines from areas east of the Mississippi River ...
and the U.S. mission of the United States Marine Corps aimed for this effort, the Naval Infantry began training and forming its personnel for amphibious warfare operations.
On April 9, 1956, the Marine Corps Basic and Formation School was opened, headquartered at first in Turbaco (Bolivar), then moved to Carne (Cartagena) and is today currently located in Covenas.
By 1957, the Marine Fluvial Commands were officially raised with the first unit being called "Flotilla Avispa", and thus its formal foundation marked a new chapter in the Naval Infantry history, as the Fluvial Commands were mandated to secure the nation's inland waters.
On July 3, 1958, the Colombian Naval Academy had its first 8 Marine Second Lieutenants commissioned.
In 1964, the Marine Infantry Directoriate of the Navy was established and became the Naval Infantry Command in 1967, the very same year that, led by CPT Jaime Arias Arango and with the advice of the then Commandant, COL Jorge Sánchez, the Marine Amphibious Commando specialty arm was officially introduced into the service.
Dates of importance to the Naval Infantry
The Naval Infantry Training Base, based in Covenas, began its work in 1975, with its mission of training men and women to join the ranks of the Naval Infantry and to prepare to perform its duties of defending the territorial and maritime integrity of the Colombian nation through basic military training through its Instruction Battalions before moving to the regular units of the Naval Infantry nationwide.
Since January 15, 1984, the Naval Infantry is a designated principal combatant command of the Navy, with its primary responsibility being amphibious and seaborne defense of the maritime and land territories of the Republic. Its motto is ("Will Surpasses Everything").
Since then, the Marines have had several changes in line with the operational situation and public order in Colombia.
Personnel
The Colombian Marine Infantry fields approximately 22,000 personnel, among officers and Infantrymen, and it is by far the biggest Corps within the Navy.
Ranks & Insignias
The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Naval Infantry personnel.
As a general rule the Corps uses Army rank titles while keeping naval-style insignia.
;Officer ranks
;Other ranks
Organization
Source:
Marine Infantry Training Base
![Fachada EFIM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Fachada_EFIM.jpg)
Base de entrenamiento de infanteria de marina "''BEIM''" is located in a small town called Coveñas, Sucre Department, in the caribbean north of Colombia. It has 3 battalions for recruits' boot camp training called BINIM 1, BINIM2 and BINIM3 (''BINIM'', Batallón de Instrucción de Infantería de Marina). A 13-week training program is performed under supervision of the United States Naval Mission by a Gunnery Sergeant of the United States Marine Corps.
The BEIM also has an Specialists Center (''CIEAN'': Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento Anfibio), where professional marines and sub-officers (Coporals - Sergeants) receive special training courses: Drill instructor, Anti-explosives, Canine guide, Personal defense, Shooter and Water survival. The training in this center is also supervised by the Gunnery Sergeant of the US Naval Mission.
There is also the Batallón de Comando y Apoyo de IM Nº 6 (''BACAIM6'') in charge of the watch and security of the surrounding areas of the base and some sectors of the Sucre Department.
First Marine Infantry Brigade
*''Brigada de Infantería de Marina No.1''
Is a minor operative unit with the main purpose of neutralizing
narcoterrorism
Narcoterrorism, in its original context, is understood to refer to the attempts of narcotics traffickers to influence the policies of a government or a society through violence and intimidation, and to hinder the enforcement of anti-drug laws by t ...
. Mainly operated in the
Caribbean Region of Colombia
The Caribbean region of Colombia or Caribbean coast region is in the north of Colombia and is mainly composed of 8 departments located contiguous to the Caribbean.[Montes de María
The Montes de María is an isolated group of small mountains near the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Region. The Montes de María (also known as Serranía de San Jacinto) are the last part of the Serranía de San Jerónimo which exte ...]
.
* Batallón de Fusileros de I.M. N° 2
* Batallón de Fusileros de I.M. N° 3
* Batallón de Fusileros de I.M. N° 4
* Batallón de Contraguerrillas de I.M. N° 1
* Batallón de Contraguerrillas de I.M. N° 2
* Batallón de Comando Y Apoyo de I.M. N° 1
First Riverine Marine Infantry Brigade
*''Brigada Fluvial de Infantería de Marina No. 1''
The First Fluvial Brigade of the Naval Infantry was founded with the main purpose of grouping the direction, organization and control of all fluvial units of the former Fluvial Fleet of
Magdalena and the
Oriente.
* Batallón Fluvial de I.M. No.20 Turbo – Antioquia
* Batallón Fluvial de I.M. No.30 Yati – Bolivar
* Batallón Fluvial de I.M. No.40 Puerto Carreño - Vichada
* Batallón Fluvial de I.M. No.50 Puerto Inirida – Guainia
Second Riverine Marine Infantry Brigade
*''Brigada Fluvial de Infantería de Marina No.2''
The Second Fluvial Brigade of the Naval Infantry is based in
Buenaventura,
Valle del Cauca Department.
* Batallón de Asalto Fluvial de I.M. N° 1 Buenaventura-valle
* Batallón de Asalto Fluvial de I.M. N° 3 Bahia Solano - Choco
* Batallón de Asalto Fluvial de I.M. N° 4 Bahia Malaga – Valle
* Batallón Fluvial De Im N° 10 Guapi - Cauca
* Batallón Fluvial De Im N° 70 Tumaco – Nariño
* Batallón Fluvial De Im N° 80 Buenaventura-valle
* Batallón De Comando Y Apoyo De Im N° 3 Buenaventura-valle
Third Riverine Marine Infantry Brigade
*''Brigada Fluvial de Infantería de Marina No.3''
The Third Fluvial Brigade of the Naval Infantry is based in
Puerto Leguizamo
Puerto, a Spanish word meaning ''seaport'', may refer to:
Places
* El Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain
*Puerto, a seaport town in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
* Puerto Colombia, Colombia
* Puerto Cumarebo, Venezuela
* Puerto Galera, O ...
,
Putumayo Department
Putumayo () is a department of Southern Colombia. It is in the south-west of the country, bordering Ecuador and Peru. Its capital is Mocoa.
The word ''putumayo'' comes from the Quechua languages. The verb ''p'utuy'' means "to spring forth" ...
.
* Batallón Fluvial de I.M. Nº 60 Puerto Leguízamo - Putumayo
* Batallón Fluvial de I.M. Nº 90 Tres Esquinas - Caquetá
* Batallón Fluvial de I.M. Nº 100 Barrancón - Guaviare
* Batallón de Asalto Fluvial I.M. Nº 2 Tres Esquinas - Caquetá
Riverine Task Group
* ''Grupo de Tarea Fluvial''
The Fluvial Tasks Group is a minor operative unit created on February 16, 2004, to participate in the
Joint Task Force OMEGA
Joint Task Force OMEGA ( es, Fuerza de tarea conjunta OMEGA) is a joint task force involving the Military of Colombia in support of Plan Patriota (Now replaced by Plan Consolidación) assembled with the main purpose of capturing the leaders of ...
which participates in operations part of the
Plan Patriota.
* Unidad De Tarea Fluvial del Caqueta. Tres Esquinas – Caqueta
* Unidad De Tarea Fluvial del Guaviare. San Jose Del Guaviare
* Batallón De Asalto Fluvial de I.M. N° 2. Tres Esquinas – Caqueta
Equipment
APCs
* /
BTR-80 ''Caribe'' - 8 In service
Hovercraft
*
Griffon 2000TD hovercraft - 8 in service.
Trucks
*
Navistar 7000MV - 42 In service
Colombia; Marines receive Navistar 7000MV trucks
- Dmilt.com, May 1, 2013
* / Chevrolet NPR
* / Chevrolet Kodiak
The Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC TopKick are a range of medium duty trucks that were produced by the Chevrolet and GMC divisions of General Motors from 1980 to 2009. Introduced as a variant of the medium-duty C/K truck line, three generations were ...
Notes
References
External links
Colombian Marines official site
Colombian National Armada
Colombia: Seguridad & Defensa
Non official Military Forces Web Site (Colombia)
{{Military of Colombia
Colombian Navy
Marines