칠레해병대 Marine Corps Detachment No. 4 "Cochrane" celebrates 73 years of service in the southernmost zone of Chile

The Unit dependent on the Third Naval Zone, receives its name in honor of the first Vice Admiral of Chile, founder of the National Navy that gave glories and tradition to the Navy, in the period of national independence

Punta Arenas. Its combat capabilities and ready-to-act condition allow it to operate efficiently in the midst of this rebellious geography in the Magallanes region and the Chilean Antarctic Territory. Currently, it has an Artillery Battery and an Infantry Platoon, units that support the naval maneuver organ in tasks of defense, control and surveillance of the southern theater of operations. It also has an engineering unit - the Navy's Landmine Operations Item (POMTA) - which contributes to the clearance and clearance of training camps in the southern zone that have the purpose of complying with the agreements signed by Chile in the Ottawa Convention "on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on Their Destruction".

This December 5, the Marine Infantry Detachment No. 4 "Cochrane" commemorates its 73rd Anniversary safeguarding the interests of the homeland in times of tension or crisis according to its combat role, in addition to providing permanent support to the Magellan community and development of the region. In this sense, DIMCOCHRANE has given its support in the fight against natural disasters being part of complex operations during the so-called "White Earthquake" (1995), the fire in Torres del Paine Park (2011), the overflow of the Las Minas River (2012), in search and rescue tasks in complex areas of the region, as well as a wide deployment during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This Unit, dependent on the Third Naval Zone, has contributed over the years, to National Development and State Action, to Security and Territorial Interests, and to Defense and International Cooperation. This last institutional mission has been reflected, for example, in the recent exchange between Chilean and U.S. Marines, who developed during the month of August a training period in cold weather in the Magallanes region and the Chilean Antarctic Territory.

"In this review of the history of the Detachment, I wanted to recall the versatility of the units of the detachment that have passed through this glorious unit. This constitutes for the entire endowment of this unit a reason for legitimate pride, also a challenge, but above all it imposes on us a sense of belonging to an organization that has known how to face every obstacle with determination and courage, aware of being the heirs of the noblest and most precious traditions of the ancient "soldiers of the sea of this unit", said the Commander of the Marine Infantry Detachment No. 4 "COCHRANE", Commander IM, César Negrete.

Its creation dates back to 1949 in Punta Arenas, joining the history of Magellan and the Chilean Antarctic Territory. At first, he began activities in the then barracks "Almirante Señoret", belonging to the Naval Arsenal of Magallanes, located in the center of the city. That incipient crew then began an intense program of operational activities, among them the reconnaissance of the continental and insular coast up to Cape Horn itself in the ships that made deployments in the Beagle Channel area. The Marines actively participated in the construction of the airstrip, also of the first facilities of the Radio Naval Station "Puerto Luisa", currently Naval Base of "Puerto Williams", in addition to its extensive network of roads and support infrastructure.

In mid-1954, the Unit moved to the then Radio Naval Station "Río de los Ciervos", a historic building where the Detachment Command is currently located. Subsequently, the Marine Infantry Battalion No. 4 "Punta Arenas" was created (1959), and then changed its name in 1966, the year in which the Unit was renamed Marine Infantry Detachment No. 4 "Cochrane", a name that it still retains

This Unit, which houses the Marines in the southernmost region of the country, is named "Cochrane" in honor of the first Vice Admiral of Chile, founder of the National Navy that gave glories and tradition to the Navy, in the period of national independence. The "Soldiers of the Sea" continue to make history in the region, overcoming adversity and contributing daily to its development, maintaining permanent custody of the southern coasts.