Eastern Regiment (TERLEV)

Welcome to the "Tercio de Levante" (Eastern Tercio), an integral part of the Marine Corps Protection Force. We are in charge of the security and protection of Spanish Navy personnel and facilities from Creus Cape (Girona) to Gata Cape (Almería), including the Balearic Islands.

The Eastern Tercio (TERLEV) base is Cartagena, an ancient and friendly city with more than three thousand years of history. The relationship of this city with the sea has been very intense thanks to its superb natural harbour.

The Eastern Tercio Headquarters is at the foothills of Sierra Pelayo in the neighbourhood of Fontana, a 32 hectare area. Its facilities are well equipped with a 50 metre swimming pool, a 100 metre range, extensive sports amenities and training areas, and ample zones for tactical exercises and access to the sea for amphibious exercises.

The current workforce of the Eastern Tercio is 449 men and women. There are 19 officers, 47 NCOs and 382 soldiers, all under the command of a MC Colonel.

TERLEV Organisation:

• Command Staff
  • S-1
    • OFAP
  • Operations/Information
    • Operations
    • Information
    • CIS
    • Physical security
  • S-4
    • Environment
    • Operational security
• Staff Company
  • Police Company
  • CIS Platoon
  • TP-Platoon
  • Service Platoon
  • Military Police Platoon
• Security Company
  • Police Company
  • Security Platoons
  • Special Operations Platoon
  • Ship Units
• Naval Police Company
  • Police Company
  • Naval Police Platoons
  • Escort Platoon
  • Dog Unit
    • Security and Combat Group
    • Explosive Group
    • Drugs Group
• Music Unit
  • Music
  • Bugle and Drums Band
• Master Chief Petty Officer
• Service
  • Supply Service
  • Medical Service
• Secretary

As has already been said, the Eastern Tercio is entrusted with the protection and security of all naval facilities in the Eastern part of Spain. Besides, Tercio personnel take part in maritime interdiction operations (MIO) and Force Protection tasks. Training courses on military intervention and weapons are regularly organised for Spanish Navy seamen and ratings in VBSS missions, and also for Customs and Tax officers with which the Spanish Navy collaborates.

Every year the TERLEV participates in the Cartagena Holy Week processions on Tuesday and Good Friday. The origin of this tradition goes back to the escort tasks carried out by the Naples Grenadier Regiments in Cartagena.

In the last years many updating and modernization programs have improved the different accommodation areas of the TERLEV Headquarters. We welcome MC candidates with a true military vocation, committed with our values and traditions. Female personnel have integrated into Marine Corps Units without problems, and do the same work as men.

Our daily work is primarily devoted to personnel training: drivers, mechanics, naval police, VIP escort, etc. But first and foremost we are Marines and physical training is a must, to be always fit and ready. As riflemen we also train in the firing range with rifles and pistols. For MIO operations we also train in boarding techniques from fast craft or helicopters.

The TERLEV is equipped with the following standard Marine Corps materiel and weapons:

Weapons: 5.56 HK G36E and 5.56 HK G36 KV assault rifles; 9mm STAR pistols; 9mm LLAMA pistols; 9mm HK USP COMPACT pistols; 9mm FN P9 pistols; 12.7mm BROWNING machineguns; 7.62mm MG-42 machineguns; 5.56 and 7.62 MINIMI machineguns; 7.62mm ACCURACY sniper rifles, and 12mm MOSSBERG shotguns.

Vehicles: NISSAN light vehicles (TERRANO, PATHFINDER, PATROL); Naval Police cars (PEUGEOT 407 and 307); Heavy lorries PEGASO 7217 and 7226 and two ambulances.

In order to improve training, the Eastern Tercio carries out a series of tactical drills and bivouacs all the year round, deploying personnel and materiel to areas near Cartagena. An important exercise is also scheduled every year at the Army Range in Chinchilla (Albacete) for machinegun firings, anti-tank drills, grenade launching and explosive familiarization.

The TERLEV has participated in many national and international exercises and operations. Among them, operation ATALANTA against piracy in the Horn of Africa, escorting "World Food Program" ships and monitoring fishing activities in the area.

Operation LIBRE HIDALGO XIV in the Lebanon with the Dog Unit (Mine and Explosive detection and disposal - EOD).

The NATO operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR in the Mediterranean as a response to the September 11th terrorist attacks, with a standing naval force to detect and deter terrorist activities, safeguarding free shipping in the area. Our participation consisted in an 11-strong Unit in the year 2010 on board different Spanish Navy ships.

The origins of this Unit may be traced back to the second half of the 18^th Century when a Garrison Battalion was set up in the West Wing of the Cartagena Naval Hospital.

During the Peninsular War, the Garrison Battalion was restructured and named 3^rd Regiment. After the Spanish Civil War, the regiment changed its name for that of Tercio de Levante.

Over the course of the years, the TERLEV, whatever its denomination, has taken part in many operations in Africa, Cuba and the Philippines as an expeditionary force or as part of Squadron complements.

The regiment has also participated in non military actions such as fire-fighting or catastrophe relief operations. To name but a few, it is worth mentioning the floods in Valencia in 1957, and Murcia and Alicante in 1987. In October 1968 the TERLEV actively participated with three companies (320 men) in the extinction of a great fire in the Escombreras oil refinery.

More recently, on May 11^th 2011, the TERLEV provided support to the Military Emergency Response Unit (UME) in the construction of provisional shelter camps for the people who lost their houses in the Lorca earthquake (Murcia).