Military of Venezuela

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 24. Chapters: Military equipment of Venezuela, Military history of Venezuela, Venezuelan Ministers of Defense, Venezuelan Navy, Venezuelan military personnel, National Armed Forces of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Venezuelan Air Force, Raúl Baduel, Bolivarian Armada of Venezuela, Venezuelan Army, José Vicente Rangel, Venezuelan Marine Corps, Battle of La Guaira, Battle of Puerto Cabello, Venezuelan military ranks, Mission Mercal, Venezuelan National Guard, Spanish reconquest of New Granada, South America air forces maneuvers, Jesse Chacón, Lucas Rincón Romero, Wolfgang Larrazábal, La Orchila, Plan Ávila, Ramón Carrizales, Plan Bolívar 2000, Venezuelan National Militia, José Gregorio Valera, Jorge García Carneiro, Juan Bautista Arismendi, Venezuelan Ministry of Defense, Gustavo Rangel Briceño, 1st Venezuelan Rifles, General Counterintelligence Office, VE-NILANGAL Rocket Launcher. Excerpt: The National Armed Forces of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Fuerza Armada Nacional, FAN) are the overall unified military forces of Venezuela. It includes over 129,150 men and women, under Article 328 of the Constitution, in 5 components of Ground, Sea and Air. The components of the National Armed Forces are: The main roles of the armed forces are to defend the sovereign national territory of Venezuela, airspace, and islands, fight against drug trafficking, to search and rescue and, in the case of a natural disaster, civil protection. All men that are citizens of Venezuela have a constitutional duty to register for the military at the age of 18, which is the age of majority in Venezuela. The Venezuelan Armed Forces are denominated "" or "Forger of Freedoms". This refers to Venezuelan armies fighting Venezuela's independence war, as well as the independence wars of five other countries, namely Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Panamá (then part of New Granada, present day Colombia) and Bolivia. The oldest origin of an organized and professional army, as we know it today, dates back to the Spanish troops quartered in the former Province of Venezuela, in the 18th century. Politically and militarily until the creation of the Captaincy General of Venezuela in 1777, the Province of Venezuela depended on the Real Audiencia of Santo Domingo (in today's Dominican Republic) or the Viceroyalty of New Granada (today, Colombia). In 1732 the Spanish crown created a Military Directorate and established a number of battalions, and had a few units from infantry regiments based in Spain. Reform of the military in the colonies began a few decades later. The first squadrons of cavalry arrived from Spain in 1751. The first companies of Artillery were created two years later. Both Creole whites and blacks were allowed to enter the ranks of the artillery companies. That same year, a Fixed Caracas Battalion was established. Until the creation of this battalion, defense had been based on smal