The Chilean Army will train engineers from the Texas National Guard in Magallanes

By Nicolás García

In January 2024, members of the 176th Engineer Brigade of the Texas Army National Guard will participate in a training exercise of the Chilean Army Military Labor Corps (CMT) to learn about road construction in the Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica.

According to the Chilean Army, the military from Texas traveled to the country this month to learn in the field about the work that the CMT carries out in Lago Fagnano, gathering personnel experiences and learning about the techniques and machinery used.

They also planned the joint instruction developed in the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.

The head of the Punta Arenas Zonal Sub-Chief of the CMT, Lieutenant Colonel Christian Wheeler, emphasized that the foreign troops could learn about the severities of “isolated work and the changing weather conditions in an area as extreme as the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego”.

The officer appreciated that the visitors could also see what they will carry out with the Chilean Army next year, as well as the capacity and skills that the operators of the Military Labor Corps have in large-scale works that are carried out for the benefit of the country.

In this regard, it should be noted that the Texas Military Forces have participated in activities with the CMT since 2013, the purpose of these being to generate an exchange of professional experiences and strengthen ties with the Chilean Army.

BLAZING TRAILS, BUILDING A FUTURE

The Military Corps of Labor is a military body under the Engineers Division that carries out road works throughout the national territory, contributing to developing and integrating the country’s most remote and inhospitable places.

The CMT has a headquarters in Santiago and the Zonal Sub-Chief Office in Arica, Zonal Sub-Chief Office in Puerto Montt, Zonal Sub-Chief Office in Coyhaique, and Zonal Sub-Chief Office in Punta Arenas.

The origins of the CMT date back to 1953, when the Military Labor Service Inspectorate was created as an agency under the Ministry of National Defense.

Seven years later, it received its current name and concentrated its activities in mountainous areas of difficult access or places far from supply centers.

In its seven decades, this unit has built more than 1,877 kilometers of roads, both in the north and south of the country, one of its most renowned routes being the Carretera Austral.

One thousand two hundred fifteen kilometers have been completed up to Punta Pisagua in the Aysén Region, reaching 66% of the total work.

Another key project is the Chile-Argentina Border Route in northern Chile, which links the cities of Antofagasta and Salta (Argentina).

CMT completed the construction of this road, contributing 63.8 kilometers in the Calama-Socaire-Paso Sico section, which was built at more than 5,200 meters above sea level.

With information from Infodefensa

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