Amphibious Commandos Group facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amphibious Commandos Group
Agrupación de Comandos Anfibios
Active	1952-present
Country	Argentina
Branch	Argentine Marine Corps
Type	Special operations forces
Role	Amphibious Operations Special Reconnaissance Air Assault operations Direct Action HALO/HAHO parachuting
Size	600 commandos
Garrison/HQ	Puerto Belgrano
Nickname(s)	APCA
Motto(s)	'Stirps Virilis'
Engagements	Falklands War 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands
Battle honours	Honor al valor en combate
Commanders
Current	Lieutenant Commander Luis Marcelo Martinez

The Amphibious Commandos Group (its name in Spanish is Agrupación de Comandos Anfibios, or APCA for short) is a very special team within the Argentine Marine Corps. They are like elite soldiers who do tough and important missions.

What They Do

This group is trained for special missions. They can quickly gather information (this is called reconnaissance) in areas near water. They also carry out surprise attacks (called assault raids) and direct action operations. These are all part of amphibious warfare, which means fighting on land and water.

Their Story

The Amphibious Commandos Group started in 1952. Back then, it was called the Vigilance and Security Company of Submarine Bases. It was based in Mar del Plata.

In 1960, the group got its first advanced training. They learned about amphibious reconnaissance, how to jump from planes (airborne forces), and special parachuting techniques like HALO/HAHO. This training happened at the Military Diving School and with the Argentine Army.

Later, in 1966, a new team called the Amphibious Reconnaissance Company was formed. This team took on even more important jobs. In 1973, they added commando training to their program. The next year, the unit officially became the Amphibious Commandos Group. Members of this special group wear green berets with their unit badges.

In 1978 and 1979, the group was sent to Tierra del Fuego. This was during a time of tension with Chile, known as the Beagle crisis. The commandos carried out many special missions there.

In the late 1980s, the group moved from Mar del Plata to its current home. This base is in Puerto Belgrano.

The Falklands War

On April 2, 1982, the Amphibious Commandos Group played a big part in the invasion of the Falkland Islands. They led the attack on Port Stanley. They fought in the battle of Government House and attacked the Moody Brook barracks.

Some members of the group also saw action in the South Georgia Islands. From May 1st, they did several reconnaissance missions from Port Stanley. Because of their bravery, the group received a special award called the Honor al Valor en Combate.

How They Train

The unit in action

Becoming an amphibious commando is very hard. The training course lasts one year. It is tough both physically and mentally. About 95% of the people who try out do not make it.

The training includes:

• An amphibious warfare course (learning to fight on land and water).
• A mountain warfare course (learning to fight in mountains).
• A parachute course (learning to jump from planes).

These special soldiers also learn to be experts with explosives (demolitions). They become skilled with many different weapons. They also train in Close Quarters Combat, which is fighting in very close spaces.

Weapons They Use

See Also

• Argentine Navy
• Rapid Deployment Force
• Tactical Divers Group
• 601 Commando Company