Argentine Army

The Argentine Army, Ejército Argentino in Spanish, is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. The president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and command authority is exercised through the Minister of Defense. The army's official foundation date is 29 May 1810, four days after the Spanish colonial administration in Buenos Aires was overthrown, and it is celebrated in Argentina as Army Day. It was formed from several existing colonial militia units and locally manned regiments, most notably the Infantry Regiment Patricios, which is still an active unit. The army sent expeditions to secure independence, fought the War of the Triple Alliance against Paraguay in the 1860s, took part in the Conquest of the Desert in Patagonia and fought in the Falklands War of 1982.