Account of a Marine Non-Commssioned Officer – Company “OBRA” – BIM5 Ec (Part 1)

Extracted from: Revista Desembarco – Volume 12

Petty Officer Roberto Tejerina recalls:

"I went to Malvinas as part of the Advance Party of BIM5 Ec, assigned to the Forward Platoon. Upon arrival at the airport, the Commander and some members of the Staff went ahead to receive orders; we remained at the airport. Later, we moved forward in a truck to the shearing shed near Moody Brook, where we spent the night.

Early the next day, 9 April, we set out on foot toward tentative zones where we were to take up positions. The Commander accompanied us on foot, gave us our primary fields of fire and the sector to occupy, and ordered us to draft a Tentative Fire Plan, along with requests for fire and logistical support. That same day, the Company Commander arrived. I briefed him on what had been done, and after inspecting the area, he submitted the requests and the Fire Plan. Among other things, he requested additional support weapons, communications equipment and a vehicle — which was never provided, so all equipment and supplies had to be carried on our backs."

Petty Officer Tejerina was the Company Sergeant Major of Company “OBRA” (also referred to as “Oscar” or “O”) of BIM5 Ec. In reality, OBRA, with fewer than 80 men, was closer to a reinforced platoon than a full company.

From its arrival in Malvinas on 8 April until 14 June, this company successfully completed three distinct missions:

First Mission (8–16 April): Defensive position on Wireless Ridge, protecting the northern sector of Puerto Argentino’s initial defences.
Second Mission (17 April – 8 June): Upon arrival of Mechanised Brigade X, the unit was repositioned to the eastern slopes of Mount Tumbledown, serving as the battalion’s reserve. During this phase, it performed all the demanding tasks expected of a reserve unit, including logistical efforts which, while tactically inadvisable, were practically unavoidable.
Third Mission (5–14 June): As an advance combat element, it engaged enemy attacks.

Company OBRA was the smallest rifle company in BIM5 Ec, yet it participated in all unit exercises and was routinely assigned roles as reserve or forward security. It was known for being highly cohesive and close-knit. Its successive company commanders —young and modern— gained considerable experience and developed a strong bond with the unit, shared also by the NCOs.

Years prior, OBRA had been stationed in Ushuaia, specialising in medium and low mountain combat and southern terrain operations. Later, it relocated to Río Grande, becoming a permanent part of the battalion, but retaining its distinctive spearhead spirit.

In 1981, the company conducted numerous live-fire combat exercises with air support. Under the leadership of Sub-Lieutenant Carlos Alberto Calmels, it became a well-trained and highly motivated team. The company specialised in heliborne operations, conducting extensive helicopter training. Their repeated assignments as reserve force, heliborne unit, and security element enabled them to gain solid experience in assault planning, counterattack execution, and independent operations across broad sectors.

At the end of January 1982, Sub-Lieutenant Calmels handed command of “O” Company to Sub-Lieutenant Ricardo Quiroga. From February to late March, the company conducted patrols and field exercises, fostering cohesion and strong camaraderie. During the retaking of Malvinas, they were in the midst of a 15-day campaign.

Marine Petty Officer Second Class Roberto Tejerina, Company Sergeant Major, was in his second year in that role and served as an essential pillar in the company’s leadership. The company was composed of three rifle groups, a weapons section with three 60 mm mortars, two 7.62 mm machine gun teams, and four rocket launchers (only two of which were operational; the rest travelled with the baggage train). In Malvinas, additional reinforcements arrived, including Petty Officer Orozco from the reconnaissance section, who took command of the Support Weapons Section.

"We conducted many foot reconnaissance missions to familiarise ourselves with the terrain since we were the battalion reserve."

On Wireless Ridge – Mount Longdon

Company O / BIM5 Ec deployed on the designated height (1800 metres east of the Royal Marines’ Barracks) and spent 10 April organising its defensive position. The company deployed in an arc formation, with its three groups in the front line. Main fields of fire were directed westward, toward Moody Valley and Mount Longdon (positioned on its reverse slope), and northward toward Murrell Valley. Support fire was to be provided by 106.6 mm mortars, with a detailed white point fire map.

According to Petty Officer Tejerina, the number of dead zones was “countless,” so double listening posts were established at 150 and 300 metres ahead of the main position. On that same day, Petty Officer Second Class Orozco, Corporal Second Class Daniel A. Carrasco, and additional ammunition and field equipment joined the company.

Tejerina celebrated his birthday on 17 April:

“That day, I received —right on time— a parcel from home with a 5 kg chocolate cake, which I shared with everyone, down to the last conscript. It coincided with Easter celebrations, for which the battalion logistics team (N.B.: referring to the ZOSERU – Unit Service Zone) had distributed plenty of chocolates, some Easter pastries, and cigarettes.
Celebrating birthdays wasn’t unusual — the company always celebrated them, at least since I joined. In Río Grande, we grouped birthdays by month, and even the Commander often attended those gatherings.”

Life on the Trenches

Tejerina states:

“The period we spent as reserve was active and exhausting. We not only had to establish our primary positions, but also set up two alternate positions, and plan and prepare for counterattacks toward Tumbledown and Sapper Hill.

What drained us most, however, was our proximity to BIM5’s command post — we were constantly assigned extra duties, such as transporting supplies or building positions for other units. That frustrated me, as these logistical burdens were contrary to tactical doctrine, which clearly states that frontline troops should not be used for such tasks.

I raised the issue with the Company Commander and the Battalion Sergeant Major, Petty Officer First Class Hernández, who acknowledged the problem but couldn’t resolve it. Fortunately, these tasks decreased as the battalion’s positions became more consolidated."

“Luckily, we had weekly access to showers at SPAC (the Amphibious Group’s logistics unit in Puerto Argentino) until 1 May. Afterwards, we took rest days in Puerto Argentino, also at SPAC’s shed. Not everyone managed to follow this routine, but it was still a relief.

We never lacked food. As reserve, we always had hot meals — even under fire. Oddly enough, everyone was constantly hungry and smoked heavily, perhaps due to tension. Cigarette rations had to be limited, and Charlie rations (combat rations) strictly monitored.

We had no issues with clothing distribution. I had a full reserve of kit for the company, stored in the lower compartment of each soldier’s 2-in-1 backpack, since our unit didn’t receive the TEMPEX backpacks, except for a few NCOs.

For building positions, we used the famous crowbars made in Río Grande, ordered by Sgt. Maj. Hernández, who had the foresight to see that our standard tools wouldn’t work with Malvinas soil.

Using materials to reinforce our positions became problematic. Troops sourced them from nearby structures in the settlement, prompting constant complaints from the Kelpers. The materials included posts, wires, metal sheets, timber, and 220-litre drums."

“As an anecdote: once, Midshipman Accountant Pellegrino, part of the ZOSERU, came to our company’s command post asking us to send a platoon to collect food he’d left 500 metres behind, as he couldn’t advance due to enemy fire. When we fetched the thermal food containers, they were riddled with shrapnel. They’d lost all liquid — but not the food. This sparked a surge of morale among the conscripts, who shouted:

¡Viva la Patria! Viva Midshipman Pellegrino!”