Brigadier General Diego Echevarría is an institution by himself within the Spanish Air Force. An old dinosaur as some criticize, but the personified spirit of the values of the Armed Forces, as others praise. What is clear is that he belongs to the old school and everyone has a reverential respect for him.

Diego Echevarría belongs to a family with a long military tradition. Therefore, from a young age he began a military career, within the Air Force. After his training period, he was assigned to the now defunct 37th Wing, as a member of the 601st Squadron, made up of American T-6 Texan fighter planes.

Already in his early years he stood out as a great pilot and for his leadership skills and sacrifice. It was in 1975, during the so-called ‘Operation Swallow’, whose objective was to protect the withdrawal of all Spanish troops from the Sahara, where he performed his first great feat for which he would achieve great renown…

At that time, the 601 Squadron had been assigned to the Sahara for surveillance and air defense missions of the Caribou convoys and transport planes of the 37th Wing. It was on a surveillance mission when the  lieutenant Echevarría saw how his flight companion, Lieutenant Gallardo had to make a forced landing due to a breakdown. Gallardo survived but had crashed in Remz el Benz, a place considered no man’s land located 150 km from Laayoune in the direction of Smara. At that time the situation was extremely volatile, with Sahrawi guerrilla groups and the Moroccan army advancing in their incursion into the Sahara. If either group reached Gallardo, his outcome could have been fatal.

Echevarría acted quickly and communicated by radio with the 6th Company of the Colón, belonging to the VII Flag of the Legion, which was still protecting Laayoune. He requested the sending of a battalion to rescue Gallardo, but it would take at least two or three hours to arrive. Knowing that his partner was alone and badly injured, with his radio broken. Echevarría ignored his superior’s orders to return to base and kept flying in circles, draining the fuel until the end. He was not going to abandon his partner and friend.

But in the end, the fuel tank was no longer enough. So Echevarría devised a curious system to communicate with Gallardo. He wrote the message “A Tercio company is coming to rescue you” on his neck scarf, and tied it to a wrench that he managed to throw at Gallardo in a risky maneuver. Immediately afterwards, he had to head back to the base. Shortly after, the legionnaires managed to find Gallardo and rescued him safe, in addition to also recovering his crashed plane. This feat, in such dark times for the Spanish army, caused a great stir and catapulted Echevarría to a series of promotions in the following years.

With the passage of time, Diego Echevarría had made a name for himself, not only within Spain but abroad. For five years he was a liaison in the NATO Air Force and, finally, in 1996, he was assigned as commander of the Morón Air Base. After sixteen years in the position, one could say that he has already become a myth within the Air Force. And Echevarría has become famous for his great diligence and gift of command, but especially for knowing how to treat his troops well. He has not only become an undisputed leader among the men and women under his command, but also a kind of father always attentive to ensuring that there is no problem, no conflict that could jeopardize the perfect operation of the base.

Nowadays, General Echevarría faces the reality that the years have passed very quickly and that his retirement is near. Even so, he refuses to accept it, since he knows no other life other than the military and has always thought that the day he hangs up his uniform will be the day of his funeral. As long as he has strength left, he will remain in his command position. Making sure that his pilots and soldiers are ready, prepared, to serve their country when necessary with the best of efficiency.