Portuguese Army Commandos
| Portuguese Army Commandos Comandos |
|
|---|---|
Speciality Badge
|
|
| Active | 1962–1994; 2002 – Present day |
| Country | Portugal |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role | Direct Action, Unconventional Warfare, Hostage Rescue, Special Operations |
| Size | One battalion |
| Part of | Rapid Reaction Brigade |
| Barracks | Carregueira |
| Nickname(s) | Red Berets (Boinas Vermelhas) |
| Motto(s) | Audaces Fortuna Juvat (Fortune Favors The Bold) |
| March | Mama Sumae |
| Anniversaries | 29 June |
| Engagements |
Portuguese Colonial War Coup of 25 November 1975 War in Afghanistan (2001–14) |
| Website | Official Website |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Colonel Dores Moreira |
| Insignia | |
| Abbreviation | RCmds |
For the denomination of "commando" see commando; for the Argentine special operations unit see Amphibious Commandos Group; for other special forces with "Commando" in their names see list of special forces units.
The Commandos (Portuguese: Comandos) are a special forces unit in the Portuguese Army. Presently, they constitute the Commando Regiment (Regimento de Comandos). Their motto is "Audaces Fortuna Juvat" (Luck Protects the Bold) and their war cry is "Mama Sumae" (it can be translated as "here we are, ready for the sacrifice" – taken from a Bantu tribe of southern Africa). They were created as counter-guerrilla special forces, thus responding to the need of the army to have units specially adapted to the type of war that, in 1961, started in Angola and later in Portuguese Guinea (current Guinea-Bissau) and Mozambique – the Portuguese Colonial War.
The Portuguese Army Commando troops constitute the Commando Regiment (RCmds), a base unit that is under the direct dependency of the Headquarters of the Portuguese Rapid Reaction Brigade. Until July 2015, this unit was designated "Commando Troops Center".
The operational component of the Commando Regiment is the Commando Battalion (BCmds), which by itself includes three maneuver companies and a headquarters and support company. Together with Paratrooper and Special Operations units, the Commando Battalion is one of the operational units of the Rapid Reaction Brigade.
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