Malvinas 1982: Get out of here, you bureaucratic piece of shit!
Like the 601, the second Company received new, pristine weaponry. For some designated marksmen, they secured Weatherby .300 Magnum rifles with telescopic sights and FM K-3 submachine guns equipped with laser sights.
Thompson radios and armor-piercing ammunition were supplied by the Arsenal Command. But as always happens, the Commandos of the 602 Company had to overcome certain unexpected obstacles to secure their individual gear.
When they went to collect the equipment from the School’s armory—with the unit formed up outside—the Lieutenant in charge refused to hand it over without the proper receipt form...
Captain Tomás Fernández explained the urgency of testing the gear, adjusting the sights, checking the aim, and so on. The answer remained a refusal.
"Forgive me, but until Major Rico comes to sign the 2404 form for me, I cannot release the weaponry."
Then, acting impulsively, Fernández opened the door himself, telling him:
"Get out of here, you bureaucratic piece of shit!
We are a Commando Company about to go to war, not a bunch of paper-pushers!"
Immediately, he began tossing the rifles outside—caught in mid-air by the unit members—while Captain Fernández, having achieved his goal, tried to calm the officer down:
"I’ll take responsibility for any problems that might arise later."
At that moment, Sergeant Mario Cisnero—the famous "Perro" (Dog), a fearsome instructor for the trainees—stepped forward and asked to serve as the gunner for the MAG machine gun. He took one of the weapons, went prone, and began inspecting it down to the finest detail.
To the keen observer, this act revealed a great deal about Cisnero and his spirit of self-sacrifice, as it meant carrying extra weight during marches; ...a mindset geared toward the collective effort, given that it is a weapon that supports the others; and, finally, a disregard for danger, since the machine gun draws enemy fire.
It was under these circumstances that Sergeant Cisnero exchanged the aforementioned words with his former student, First Lieutenant Losito.
After Losito had ironically remarked to Cisnero that he still held a grudge over how he had been treated during the course, he added:
"Let's see now, *Perro*, how you handle yourself in war."
The sergeant suddenly turned serious and replied:
"Rest assured, First Lieutenant—now we’ll see who the real good ones are..."
This exemplary NCO donated half his salary before crossing over to the islands. These soldiers certainly had guts—something the British realized very clearly.
Born in Catamarca, he was only twenty-six years old.
From the book: Comandos en acción by Isidoro J. Ruiz Moreno
