Military of Mexico
From Open Encyclopedia
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Mexico's military is divided into two branches, the National Defense Secretariat (includes Army and Air Force) and the Navy Secretariat (includes Mexican Navy, Naval Air and Marines). Principal military roles include national defense, counterdrug operations, and civic action assignments such as roadbuilding, search and rescue, and disaster relief. A 12-month period of military service is a compulsory conscripted function of all male Mexican citizens when they reach age 18, the Mexican age of majority. Mexican citizens age 16 or older may serve voluntarily with consent.
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Commander in Chief
The President of Mexico is the Commander in Chief of both agencies, but his command is limited to the national territory, and he requires an approval of the Mexican Congress to send armed troops outside of Mexico.
Size and Scope
Image:Ceremonialact.jpg Compared to most Latin American armies, the Mexican Army is one of the smallest by its numbers and its budget. In 1989, it was 0.4% of the Gross Internal Product. In 1999, Mexico's military budget had swelled to 1% of GDP, at $4 billion U.S. dollars. Recently the budget has been expanded to accommodate the counterdrug operations, and currently has annual expenditures of $6.043 billion (2004).
According to the CIA World Factbook, Mexico's available manpower for military service numbers 24,488,008 (males age 18-49: 2005 est.), with 19,058,337 males fit for military service, and 1,063,233 males reaching military service age annually. Since 2000, females have been allowed to volunteer for military service. Mexico's armed forces currently number about 300,000.
Mexico's military is divided into two branches, the National Defense Secretariat (includes Army and Air Force) and the Navy Secretariat (includes Naval Air and Marines).
The Army makes up about three-fourths of the total military. Army soldiers are armed with the Heckler and Koch G3 rifle, currently being replaced by the G36 assault rifle.
The Navy is a completely autonomous cabinet agency.
Mission
Image:F5insignia.jpg The Mexican Army works around three preparedness missions, or plans:
- DN1: Preparation of the military forces to repel external aggressions. No military armed force can leave Mexican territory without a declaration of war, and approval of the Congress. The last time this was invoked was in 1942, to send an expeditionary force to the Philippines, after war was declared against Germany and Japan, following the sinking of two Mexican ships by U-boats. In 1990 President Carlos Salinas de Gortari asked the permission of the Congress to send troops to the Gulf War, but it was refused, since there was no declaration of war against Iraq.
- DN2: Preparation of the military forces to protect the internal security of the country. This would include police actions against guerrilla forces, counterdrug operations, and, originally, political control. Up to 1970, the Mexican Army had been used as as a repressive force to maintain the virtual dictatorship of the single-party PRI government. The most controversial use of the military had been called "The dirty war" against communism in the 1960's, which included the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre of students and unexpecting bystanders. After 1980 these types of operations had nearly completely ceased (see EZLN).
- DN3: Defense against natural disasters. The Army should always be ready to help the civil population in case of disaster. This include preventive measures. For example, between August and November, military forces are sent to Mexican coastal areas to aid the public in the event of hurricanes or floods. For the Mexican people, the DN3 plan is the most important operation of the Army. The Army provides food, shelter, medicine, and medical services to the people that need them. This also includes recontruction of roads and communication services. A point of controversy is why the Army did not apply the DN3 plan after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake that left large areas of Mexico City in ruins. This was due mainly to political reasons, but demonstrates how the Mexican army is subject to civil powers.
Conscription
The lottery
Each year, the Mexican military recruiters require all Mexican males that reached the age of majority of 18 in the previous 12 months to appear at a designated military recruitment center in their local municipality. A lottery is held to determine randomly who will be assigned either Army service, Navy service, or be excused from service completely.
The lottery may take the form, for example, of all men in attendance standing at attention for hours while each man's name is called, during which a child pulls a colored ball out of a bag- the color of which will determine each conscriptee's fate.
To obtain a passport or a U.S. visa, a man must show a document stating that he has participated in the military lottery.
Career soldiers
While all Mexican males are require by law to give "military service" for a period of one year, those services are civil and require only a few hours on weekends, and do not imply any military training, except drills. Most Mexicans, for example, that have been recruited into the military, have never touched a gun by the time their civil service is complete. The members of the Army that remain in the military after their mandatory period of service are volunteers who chose the Army as their job.
Limitations
Similar to the United States Posse Comitatus Act, Article 129 of the 1917 Mexican Constitution dictates that "No military authority may, in time of peace, perform any functions other than those that are directly connected with military affairs.", but the use of the Army to replace police temporarily in some cases of corruption has been hotly debated.
Similar to the Third Amendment to the United States Constitution, Article 26 of the 1917 Constitution of Mexico, "No member of the army shall in time of peace be quartered in private dwellings without the consent of the owner, nor may he impose any obligation whatsoever. In time of war the military may demand lodging, equipment, provisions, and other assistance, in the manner laid down in the respective martial law."
Military Law
Article 123 of the 1917 Mexican Constitution dictates that "Military and naval personnel and members of the public security corps, and personnel of the foreign service, shall be governed by their own laws."
Secrecy
Politically, the army mantains a very low profile, while as recently as a few decades ago there were restrictions upon mentioning the Army or Army ranks in the media (TV, newspapers etc). Only in the last decade have the Mexican people became more aware of the activities of the Army.
Activities outside Mexico
United Nations peacekeeping
Image:Huracan301.jpg Image:Mexicomarines.JPG As of 2005, intervention in UN peacekeeping operations is being discussed, but with the current political composition of the Congress, it is unlikely to be a approved.
Disaster Relief
The Mexican army has travelled to mainly Central American countries to provide aid in disaster relief.
Hurricane Katrina relief
In September 2005 Mexican army convoys traveled to the U.S. to help in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
Mexican army convoys and a navy ship laden with food, supplies and specialists traveled to the United States including military specialists, doctors, nurses and engineers carrying water treatment plants, mobile kitchens, food and blankets.
The convoy represents the first Mexican military unit to operate on U.S. soil since 1846, when Mexican troops briefly marched into Texas, which had separated from Mexico and joined the United States.
See also
- Fuerzas Especiales
- Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales
- Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales del Alto Mando
- Mexican Air Force
- Mexican military ranks
- Military history of Mexico
- Brigada de Fusileros Paracaidistas
- Ixtoc-Alfa
- Mexican response to Hurricane Katrina
- Mexican Special Forces
External links
- (es)National Defense Secretariat.
- (es)Navy Secretariat.
- (es) http://www.fasoc.cl/files/articulo/ART4117e2978fedb.pdf
References
- Mexico plans to refocus navy role Article from www.janes.com
- CIA World Factbook
