• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Marine Infantry Brigade
[Brigada de Infanteria de Marina (BIM)]

The Marine Infantry Brigade [Brigada de Infanteria de Marina] is organized in the component of the Forces de Mar. It is classified within the four operational units that allow it to fulfill the constitutional mission assigned to the Navy of the National Defense. It is the component of the Army Forces of the Army of Guatemala, organized, equipped and trained to carry out missions of naval projection towards land.

The Guatemalan Army established two Naval Infantry Platoons on 1 August 1964 and by February 1970 the 1st Naval Infantry Company had been established. A fifth platoon was raised in 1972, and assigned to security duties along the Pacific coast. In October 1983, the Naval Infantry Battalion was established with the 1st & 2nd Naval Infantry Coys from Banatlan (Atlantic Naval Base), and the 1st & 2nd NI Coys from Banapac (Pacific Naval Base). By 2003, the Guatemalan Navy divided its Naval Infantry Battalion in two Coys for operations along Banatlan, and two Coys for Banapac. All those joining this elite unit must attend the Curso de Adiestramiento de Infanteria de Marina (CAIMAN). All these forces have been equipped with mainly small arms, and operate as light infantry.

The Marine Infantry Brigade conducts amphibious, riparian, fluvial, special and coast defense operations; throughout the Republic, as well as operational presence in the assigned area; and thereby contribute to the maintenance of external and internal security, the defense of national sovereignty and contribute to the achievement of the institutional objectives of the Guatemalan Army.

The missions that this special unit fulfils, they are several: to ensure the sovereignty and safeguarding of the coastal limits of the Pacific and Caribbean oceans, as well as to provide the defense, security and control of aquatic spaces in the inland waters of the Republic of Guatemala; With the intention of blocking the passage to Earth from the sea, those who try to pass our shores and Bocanas and affect the interests of our nation.

The actions developed by the Infantry Brigade for mission fulfillment are in the comprehensive action Plan of the Ministry of National Defense 2016-2020 and the driving guide of the Chief of Staff of the National Defence 2016, summarized in the contribution to national development, the field of external and internal security , institutional support in the field of internal security, cooperation in disaster risk reduction management and institutional management.

With these clear and precise guidelines, it developed the capacities of the most valuable and important resource the brigade counts on, "Our Marines," men and women capable of fulfilling military and naval tactical missions, as well as developing military civil relations and humanitarian assistance missions, trained and forged under the climate heat of the Caribbean and the national identity required to offer fellow citizens the certainty of having a special unit integrated by Guatemalans serving Guatemalans.

From the very beginning of the conception of the Forces of the Sea, until today, the work carried out in the training and training aspects of the Marine Infantry units is commendable, the slogan of orienting everything towards excellence, allowed the Army of Guatemala to form an unit in optimal state of sizing, giving life in the organization of the Frog Men and Amphibious Commands.

The official record of the origin and beginning of units of Marine Corps in the Guatemalan naval, is given, 1 of August of 1,964, in which was created Marine Corps with two platoons of fusileros, Which had as mission to provide security to the facilities of the Atlantic Naval Base and the constitutional duty to defend the integrity of the coasts, the sea lanes and the protection of human life, as well as to project naval power to land.

The unique nature of the prototype Naval organization relied on the individual skills of its members, as well as specialized training levels (Marine, Cayman, Parachute and Diver) that allow the versatility of their use. Consistent with this must be evaluated in its right dimension the efforts that were made in the consolidation of this force of naval assault and moved everything to support to the traditions and doctrine of these special soldiers who must master with skill the requirements of land and naval warfare. The process of conformation of the Guatemalan National Defense Navy is due to the fulfillment of a strategic plan conceived from its genesis to safeguard the interests of the Guatemalan Nation in its coasts, banks and aquatic spaces.

Based on the need to have personnel on the ground and serving as a complement to the Naval Force, the Marine Corps was created composed of elements able to guarantee with their existence, sovereignty and national tranquility on the coasts and banks, Submitting to it for a constant preparation in all the fields that concern it as a ground shock force.

In February of 1970, the Marine Corps is increased to a company, being the founders the Captain of Infantry Edgar Godoy Gaitán, (Commander), Infantry Lieutenant Gustavo Padilla Morales (Executive of Company) and platoon commanders the Subtenientes of Infantry Miguel Mayorga, Vicente Montenegro and Oliverio Ruiz Flores. This company was assigned land patrol missions in the vicinity of Santo Tomas de Castilla, Rio Dulce; always maintaining as main mission the one of the security of the facilities of the Naval Base of the Atlantic.

On June 15, 1978, the naval station was installed on Lake Güija, bordering El Salvador, with the mission of guaranteeing national sovereignty and contributing to the exercise of maritime authority. On 1 October 1982 the Naval Post Office of Lake Atitlán was installed, with the purpose of exercising control over the lake vessels. On March 25, 1983, the Pacific Naval Base was moved to Puerto Quetzal, Escuintla, reassigning surface units. On April 1, 1984, the Naval Fluvial de Pipiles was created, at the confluence of the Pasion, Salinas and Usumacinta rivers, in the department of El Petén, with the mission of exercising river control and guaranteeing national sovereignty in rivers Boundaries.

Some changes took place in structure and form, even a moment of relative autonomy with the creation of the Military Command of the Marine Corps in the first half of 2003, at the headquarters of the Military Zone of Puerto Barrios. After the restructuring of the Army modernization plan implemented in the first half of the current year, the facilities became the responsibility of the Command of the Naval Command of the Caribbean and aspects of readjustment of the force in the national territory in terms of Device and composition, the magnitude of the unit of the Marine Corps was diminished.

On July 1, 2004, by Government Agreement No. 223-2004, the Command of the Navy of National Defense was created to exercise command and control of the Navy of the National Defense. The Naval Command consists of of the National Defense Caribbean, Naval Command Pacific and Naval School of Guatemala.