19th century

First reign

See also: First reign (Empire of Brazil) and Imperial Brazilian Army

Cavalry at the Battle of Ituzaingó (1827), during the Cisplatine War. Paiting by José Wasth Rodrigues

The Brazilian War of Independence divided the military forces present in what is now Brazilian territory: some joined the Brazilian cause and others remained loyal to Portugal.^[26] The Brazilian victory in the war did not break the continuity with the military organization and doctrine of the Portuguese Army, whose characteristics would be visible in the Brazilian institution until the beginning of the 20th century.^[1][27][28] Portuguese professionals, private owners, European mercenaries and ordenanças came together in a heterogeneous army.^[28][29]

The hierarchy had feudal aspects.^[29] Promotion criteria were poorly defined. Some officers progressed in their careers within the institution, but others, coming from the civilian elite and the aristocracy, moved between the ranks and politics. Officers did not serve far from their birthplaces, and it was only later that service rotation in the provinces emerged.^[30][31] Soldiers were generally obtained by impressment,^{[lower-alpha 1]} although there were volunteers, including fugitive slaves.^[32] Until 1830, and again in 1851–1852, foreign mercenaries served in the ranks, and even had a revolt of their own.^[33] Military service, stigmatized,^[32] was known as the "blood tribute".^[34]

In December 1824, the nominal force numbered 30 thousand men of the 1st line (paid troops) and 40 thousand of the 2nd line (unpaid militia and some paid troops of police, veterans and irregulars). Lack of training and politicized recruitment limited the military capacity of the 2nd line.^[35] The 1st line was organized into units the size of regiments and battalions and some smaller ones called "corps".^[36] In December 1824, it comprised three grenadier battalions, 28 caçadores (light infantry) battalions, seven cavalry regiments, five horse artillery corps and 12 field artillery corps.^[37] Five brigades briefly existed in the Court (Rio de Janeiro), but throughout the century the army did not maintain large formations in peacetime. Provincial "commanders of arms" were subordinated to local governments, whose presidents were in turn appointed by the Emperor.^[38] This organization would undergo numerous changes.^[39] The structure of the Secretariat of State for War Affairs was small, and there was no general management body for the army in peacetime.^[36]

The army was initially an instrument of emperor Pedro I's authority, closing the Constituent Assembly in 1823 (the Night of Agony) and suppressing a separatist movement, the Confederation of the Equator. Its greatest difficulty was in the Cisplatine War, when it faced logistical obstacles and a high desertion rate.^[40]

Second reign

See also: Second reign (Empire of Brazil)

Brazilian troops landing in Paso de la Patria in 1866 during the Paraguayan War

By 1850 the political consensus was already in favor of the army.^[47] The force grew to 15–16 thousand men. By the 1851 organization, the army had eight rifle battalions, six caçadores battalions, four light cavalry regiments, one horse artillery regiment, and four foot artillery battalions. These would be the "mobile corps", intended for smaller operations. A series of small corps and companies were designated "garrison corps", responsible for the internal security of the provinces.^[48] Officers' careers were professionalized from 1850 onwards, with the adoption of formal criteria for advancement in the hierarchy and mandatory educational training in military courses.^[49] The sons of the civilian nobility, who preferred to serve in the National Guard, gradually disappeared. Except in Rio Grande do Sul, officers were recruited from social groups with lower incomes, especially children of military personnel.^[50]

With the internal conflicts quelled, the Empire of Brazil used the army in external interventions in the Río de la Plata region. In 1851–1852, four army divisions, National Guard, and regional Argentine allies went on campaign in the Platine War. The intervention was successful, but the risk of war remained in the region, and the government did not pay adequate attention to defense. When the Paraguayan War began in 1864, the Paraguayan Army had 60 thousand men, compared to 16 thousand in Brazil, whose war effort was marked by improvisation.^[51] Technologies of the Second Industrial Revolution, such as the rifle, the telegraph and the observation balloon, coexisted with Napoleonic tactics, such as the infantry square, the "cult of the bayonet", cavalry as a shock weapon and artillery fired at close range, with grapeshot.^[52] Lack of cartographic knowledge, good use of the terrain by the Paraguayans, logistical difficulties and epidemics delayed a decisive victory in the period before December 1868.^[53]

The Battle of Avay in 1868. Paiting by Pedro Américo

The campaign was long and exhausting,^[54] on a much larger scale than the War of Independence. Ground forces were expanded to 135,000 soldiers, including 59,000 from the National Guard and 55,000 Homeland Volunteers. At least initially, there was great popular enthusiasm for the service.^[55] Three army corps were operated.^[56] The official history of the army recognizes Paraguay as its second "landmark of representation", after Guararapes.^[57] The institution became aware of its importance for the country, but it did not benefit after the victory in 1870: the budget was drastically reduced. Officers' nonconformity with political leaders grew. The participation of slaves in the struggle brought abolitionism into question.^[58][59][60]

A new military service law attempted to reform recruitment in 1874, but was not enforced due to popular resistance by the so-called "list rippers".^[61][62] In the same year, officer education was completely separated from Civil Engineering and concentrated at the Military School of Praia Vermelha.^[63]

Brazilian officers in 1886

At the end of the Empire, the officers were divided between "scientists" and "tarimbeiros": the latter, veterans of the Paraguayan War, normally without a degree, and the former, trained at Praia Vermelha. The curriculum, unrelated to military disciplines, did not produce good troop commanders but rather intellectuals, engineers, bureaucrats and politicians, competitors of civilian bachelor's degrees.^[59][64] The 1888 organization defined 27 infantry units, ten cavalry units, four field artillery units, four position artillery units and two engineering units. The distinction between mobile and garrison corps disappeared. Units were very small, but would theoretically be expanded to a "war footing" when necessary, although there was no mobilization system.^[65]

With no apparent external danger, the authorities used the army in public order, capturing fugitive slaves and controlling elections, which outraged the new generation of officers. New positivist ideas were spreading. In the 1880s, a series of incidents with civilian authorities, known as the Military Question, strained the army's relationship with the monarchy. The army had already become a political force, capable of making a minister resign. Finally, young officers, old leaders and civilians proclaimed the republic in a military coup that deposed emperor Pedro II.^[66]

20th century

First Brazilian Republic

See also: First Brazilian Republic and Brazilian Army in the First Republic

The army in the port area of ​​Rio de Janeiro during the Navy Revolt

Until 1894, a period marked by the Federalist Revolution and the Navy Revolts, the new republican regime began under the tutelage of the army (the so-called Republic of the Sword). The military were not united and lost power to the civilian oligarchies,^[67] which were alienated from the officer class^[68] and transformed the Public Forces of the most powerful states into "small armies", a major obstacle to the expansion of the Armed Forces' power.^[69] The period was one of struggle to assert its relevance.^[70] In this context, the federal army guaranteed central power against regionalist tendencies.^[71]

By the 1890s, the army's operational capacity had fallen to a level sometimes inferior to the insurgents it faced.^[72] This and foreign policy fears sparked a military reform movement.^[73][74][75] The First World War (1914–1918) favored reformism,^[76][77] although direct Brazilian participation in land operations was limited to a mission of 26 officers to the French Army.^[78] Seeking a successful army as a reference, groups of officers (known as the "Young Turks") were sent to intern in the Imperial German Army in 1906–1912,^[79][80] and a French Military Mission was hired to advise on the reorganization of the Brazilian Army from 1920 to 1940.^[80][81] Strategic planning had the Argentine Army as its hypothetical enemy,^[82] at the time more modern and supported by a railway network that was denser than the Brazilian one.^[83] Armament also had to be imported, as the arms industry was very limited.^[84]

Light infantry uniforms in 1920

By 1919, the training of officers at the Military School of Realengo was already very different from Praia Vermelha: a curriculum dominated by professional subjects, field exercises and strict discipline, training officers with a strong sense of distinction in relation to civilians.^[85][86] The introduction of compulsory military service through the Sortition Law, in 1916, allowed the abolition of the National Guard two years later,^[87] changed the army's relationship with society,^[88] made recruitment more judicious^[89] and allowed a gradual and continuous expansion of personnel. In the long term, this strengthened central power at the expense of regional oligarchies.^[90] Military Aviation was implemented, which remained in the army until 1941, when it was absorbed by the newly created Brazilian Air Force.^[91]

The organization of these forces in peacetime was rudimentary until 1908, when commanders began to build a modern order of battle with regiments, brigades and divisions. In 1921 there were five infantry divisions, three cavalry divisions, a mixed brigade and independent units. The actual organization differed greatly from the formal one, with many incomplete regiments. Throughout the century, each new organization was somewhat fictional.^[92][93] The force was estimated at 37 thousand men in 1919.^[94]

Garrison of a 75mm Krupp artillery piece, 1924

The operational history of the period has two major conflicts arising from social issues in the interior of the country: the War of Canudos (1897) and the Contestado War (1912–1916).^[45] In Canudos the force faced peasants without military training,^[73] but the terrain was adverse and well used by the opponent.^[95] The war concluded with the settlement of Belo Monte, in the interior of Bahia, burnt and littered by the bodies of thousands of inhabitants. The army suffered immense casualties.^[96] In the 1920s the army had difficulty suppressing a mobile enemy, the Prestes Column, as its French-influenced doctrine was for a conflict in the style of the Western Front of the First World War.^[97] On the other hand, the rebels were unable to threaten Rio de Janeiro.^[98] In 1924 there was an experience of urban combat and the bombing of São Paulo by army artillery.^[99]

Military revolts and interventions in politics marked the period, such as the proclamation of the republic itself, the Manifesto of the Thirteen Generals, Hermism/Salvations Policy, the Sergeants' Revolt of 1915, tenentism and the Revolution of 1930, which ended the First Republic. Most of the revolts involved the lower ranks and did not represent the army as a whole, damaging the hierarchy. The "Pacifying Movement", a military coup that made the 1930 Revolution triumph, differed in that it was planned by high levels of the army and navy. This was made possible by organizational changes, such as the development of the Army General Staff.^[100]

Vargas Era

See also: Vargas Era

Transport of the 28th Battalion of Caçadores, from Sergipe, to fight in the Constitutionalist Revolution

Getúlio Vargas' first period in power (1930–1945) was one of great modernization and expansion for the Brazilian Army,^[101] which was elevated to the center of political power. The military received investments and positions in the administration.^[102] But the army was deeply divided. Revolts by sergeants and corporals threatened the hierarchy, to the point of overthrowing the government of Piauí in 1931, and the officers also rebelled.^[103] A large part of the São Paulo garrison joined the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932, which was defeated due to the loyalty of the rest of the Armed Forces and state governments to Vargas.^[104] Army units rose up in the Communist Uprising of 1935, which was quickly put down.^[105] In 1938 the army also participated in the repression of the Integralist Uprising.^[106]

To homogenize the institution, the government and army leaders carried out several purges of the officer ranks.^[107][108] Revolts by young officers became less and less likely for organizational and technical reasons.^[109] General Góis Monteiro, considered the "first great ideologue" of the institution, wrote about the need for the "army's politics", not "politics in the army".^[110] The military aligned with the authoritarian and developmentalist ideals of the Estado Novo dictatorship, established by Vargas with a coup in 1937. The army served as the strong arm of a centralized State,^[111] and the Public Forces were placed under the control of the Ministry of War, putting an end to the phenomenon of "state armies".^[112] Military engineers participated in the development of the steel and oil industries in the country.^[113][114] The concept of security, for the army, had been expanded, involving planning, energy, transport and industrialization.^[115]

According to EME studies on the 1932 Constitutionalist Revolution, the army had evolved in its doctrine and organization, but was still not prepared to face an external aggressor, as evidenced by the deficiency in the ammunition industry.^{[lower-alpha 2]} The Chaco War (1932– 1935) between Bolivia and Paraguay helped the army to continue expanding its numbers, which exceeded 60 thousand men.^[116] Anti-aircraft artillery and mobile coastal artillery were implemented.^[101] Finally, Brazil's entry into the Second World War in 1942 gave the army its "only experience [...] in a conventional war along the lines of a total war".^[117] Fighting alongside the Allies, Brazil received weapons (via Lend-Lease) and sent officers to study in the United States. The army's strength grew from around 80,000 men to 200,000 in 1944, organized into eight infantry divisions, three cavalry divisions and a mixed brigade.^[118]

Brazilian expeditionaries in the Battle of Montese in 1945

The army's participation consisted of reinforcing the northeastern salient^{[lower-alpha 3]} and sending the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB) to the Italian Campaign. The Brazilian government promised to send three infantry divisions to the war effort, but due to mobilization difficulties, it was only possible to send the 1st Expeditionary Infantry Division (1st DIE),^[118] subordinate to the IV Corps of the United States Army.^[119] The Battle of Monte Castello, which it fought in 1944–1945, was not the most important of the IV Corps, but it stood out for the experience of the FEB, which overcame its inexperience and won after several demoralizing defeats in the offensive.^[120] Tactics changed from French to American: from frontal attacks to flanking enemy positions and attacking in multiple directions.^[121] The FEB was demobilized even before returning to Brazil, as it was considered a political threat.^[122] This did not prevent the ousting of Vargas by the Armed Forces in 1945, after which democracy was restored. The army had changed a lot, and in addition to its technical modernization, had become politically autonomous and convinced that it could form a well-trained elite.^[123]

Fourth Brazilian Republic

See also: Fourth Brazilian Republic

M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks in the Central Rally in 1964

The Brazilian Army adopted American doctrine, organization, manuals and methods after World War II, although the absorption was partial, as older materiel of European origin and French concepts remained. New equipment was obtained through the Brazil–United States Treaty.^[124][125] Since the war, motorized vehicles began to replace carts and mules. The use of armored vehicles, until then very limited, was consolidated.^[126] The training of sergeants was centralized and professionalized at the Escola de Sergentos das Armas. From the 1950s onwards, sergeant revolts disappeared. The movements of enlisted personnel in the rest of the Armed Forces had less repercussions on the army.^[127]

In 1960 the force comprised seven infantry divisions, four cavalry divisions, one armored division, an airborne division nucleus, a mixed brigade and a Group of School Units. These forces were grouped into four Military Zones in 1946, later called Armies in 1956, equivalent to the current Military Area Commands. The new structure was sophisticated, but the doctrine did not correspond to reality. Infantry divisions were supposed to have 15,000 men each, but averaged 5,500.^[128] Officials feared Brazil's military fragility.^[129] On the other hand, the relative power of neighboring countries was declining.^[130] The hypothesis of war against Argentina lost relevance^[131] and coexisted with concerns of the Cold War: nuclear war, revolutionary war and peace operations,^[130] of which the first with Brazilian participation was the Suez battalion (1957–1967 ).^[132]

The institution's political participation was continuous. In 1955, Minister of War Henrique Teixeira Lott carried out a "preventative coup", opposing the Navy and Air Force, to ensure the inauguration of president Juscelino Kubitschek. In 1961, the three military ministers (army, navy and air force) tried to veto the inauguration of João Goulart as president, but a split in the army allowed the victory of the inauguration cause.^[133] Finally, the 1964 coup d'état began with the main commands of the army in loyalist hands, but the officers joined the coup en masse and the president was removed without a fight.^[134] Military personnel that were aligned with the deposed government were purged, including 22.5% of the generals serving in 1964.^[135] The ideological basis of Goulart's opponents was anti-communism,^[136] developed since 1935,^[137] and the doctrine of revolutionary war.^[138]

Military dictatorship

See also: Military dictatorship in Brazil

Soldiers in front of the Duke of Caxias Palace, former Army HQ, during demonstrations against the dictatorship in 1968

In the subsequent military dictatorship (1964–1985) the center of political power was occupied by generals, although the institutions formally remained those of a liberal democracy. Generals disputed among themselves and were challenged by junior officers.^[139] Political repression activities were centralized in the army,^[140] whose Internal Defense Operations Centers (Centros de Operações de Defesa Interna; CODI) coordinated the Armed Forces and the police.^[141] Military personnel were responsible for illegal detentions, torture, executions, forced disappearances and concealment of corpses,^[142] and the army played a fundamental role in the genocide of the Waimiri-Atroari indigenous people.^[143][144]

The armed struggle against the dictatorship was faced mainly by high-ranking intelligence bodies, such as CODI and the Army Information Center (Centro de Informações do Exército; CIEx). Large-scale use of conventional troops for counterinsurgency occurred rarely and was ineffective.^[141] The Araguaia Guerrilla (1972–1975), the most extensive rural insurgency of the period, could only be defeated by the principle of "fighting guerrilla with guerrilla": extensive intelligence work, the infiltration of uncharacterized patrols and the participation of the Special Forces Company.^[145][146]

Half-track of the Armored Division in 1968

The "economic miracle" allowed the re-equipment of the army in the period 1969–1974, with a focus on conventional warfare.^[147] Counterinsurgency did not make the military give up external defense, in part as a way of demonstrating the state's prestige.^[148] There were two hypotheses of war: a "revolutionary war in South America" and a war between the Western and Communist blocs, with Brazil contributing an expeditionary army corps to the Western bloc.^[149] The local production of equipment was quickly developed, thanks to the development of companies in the national arms industry, such as Engesa.^[150][151] Until 1980, rifles, machine guns, artillery and armor were changed.^[152]

After a century of emulating foreign armies, the Brazilian Army sought a doctrine more suited to the Brazilian needs.^[153][154] The order of battle was reorganized, suppressing infantry and artillery regiments and creating brigades, which became the main large maneuver units,^[155] a system that still remains in the 21st century.^[156] The total personnel was 170 thousand in 1970.^[157] In 1980 the army operated 13 ordinary infantry brigades, one of parachute infantry, two of jungle infantry, three of armored infantry, one armored cavalry brigade and four mechanized cavalry brigades.^[158] But not all goals were met,^[159] and there remained a technological delay in relation to the Argentine Army.^{[lower-alpha 4]}

Redemocratization and post-Cold War

See also: Redemocratization in Brazil

The new Army Aviation on the Amazon borders

The Argentine defeat in the Falklands War in 1982 shocked the Brazilian military. The United States did not support a South American country against an extracontinental power, and the Brazilian Armed Forces would clearly be out of date in a similar conflict.^[160] Basic equipment was lacking and operational capacity was very low.^[161] The EME began to study the hypothesis of a war with a country from the Western bloc, economically and militarily superior to Brazil, in the Amazon region,^[162] at the same time that it planned the "army of the future", writing the Força Terrestre 90 (FT 90), Força Terrestre 2000 and Força Terrestre do Século XXI programs.^[163][164]

After the end of the military dictatorship in 1985, the army distanced itself from the political-ideological confrontation and began executing the FT 90 and its successors.^[163] By the end of the 1980s, the social and economic standards of officers had declined,^[165] and by the beginning of the following decade, the army's strategic priorities had become undefined.^[166] Traditional threats (communism and Argentina) were giving way to non-traditional ones.^[167] The United States Army once again became the "model to be followed" by winning the 1991 Gulf War, inspiring the Brazilian Delta Doctrine.^[168] The Brazilian arms industry collapsed.^[169][170]

In 1991, the incursion of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) into Brazilian territory and the subsequent Operation Traíra redoubled attention in the Amazon.^[171] Army officers viewed transnational crime, Colombian guerrillas, and environmental and indigenous issues as possible pretexts for foreign intervention in the region.^[172] At the same time, public authorities often use the army for operations to guarantee law and order in places such as Rio de Janeiro,^[173][174] as well as for subsidiary missions, which are, in a certain way, accommodated by the political class.^[175] Abroad, participation in international UN missions increased.^[176]

21st century

A Brazilian U.N. peacekeeper during a patrol in Cité Soleil, Haiti

The total personnel grew from 194 thousand in 1985 to 238 thousand in 2007,^[177] below the large quantitative expansion planned in the 1980s, due to budget restrictions.^[178] The army of 2007, despite not being much larger than that of 1985, was more specialized, with new technologies. Electronic warfare capabilities were acquired and the roster of rapid action forces was expanded with the new Army Aviation Brigade (1989), airmobile infantry (1995) and the expansion of special operations forces (2003).^[179]

The first Brazilian main battle tanks were acquired, the Leopard 1 and M60 models,^[180] and the structure of Brazilian armored brigades was equivalent to that of Argentina, despite good bilateral relations.^[179] An attempt was made to reduce dependence on compulsory military service, but the costs of professional soldiers limited the measures.^[181][182] The Amazon Military Command was reinforced, increasing from two to five brigades.^[183]

Some generals gave the press an overview of the army, describing its aging equipment and technological obsolescence in 2012. Since 2004, only 9 to 10% of the budget was available for funding and investments, with the remainder being spent on personnel.^[184] The guidelines for the Army Transformation Process had just been published, with ambitious goals for the year 2030, just like the planners of the 1980s, who had defined 2010 as the year in which the "army of the future" would exist.^[185] The drivers of the Transformation Process are strategic projects/programs,^{[186][lower-alpha 5]} such as ASTROS 2020, for the expansion of missile and rocket artillery (Astros II) and the development of a cruise missile (AV-TM 300);^[187] Guarani armored vehicles, with a new family of wheeled armored vehicles;^[188] Anti-Air Defense, with the renewal of low-height anti-aircraft artillery and obtaining medium-height artillery;^[189] and the Integrated Border Monitoring System, Cyber ​​Defense and others.^[190][191]

The army in the security of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

A notable peacekeeping operation during this period was the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) (2007–2017).^[176] Most of the Brazilian battalion commanders in Haiti achieved generalship.^[192]

The occupation of Complexo do Alemão in 2010 was the largest law and order operation since the promulgation of the 1988 Constitution, and was considered more difficult than Haiti. When confronting organized crime in Rio de Janeiro's favelas, the military had to change tactics and equipment. They recognize the difficulty of police work, in which they are not specialized and there is a risk of collateral damage. There were protests by local residents against abuses of authority, torture and excessive shooting and use of tear gas.^[193] In the federal intervention in Rio de Janeiro in 2018, an army general held the position of Secretary of Security in Rio de Janeiro, and other generals held roles in that secretariat and in the federal intervention office.^[194]

Strategic projects suffered from contingencies and cuts in military spending resulting from the economic crisis of the mid-2010s,^[195] and in 2019 their deadlines were already being extended, some until 2040.^[196][197] When the Guyana-Venezuela crisis began in 2023, the army reinforced Roraima, but still did not have cruise missiles, medium-height anti-aircraft defense or Centauro II tank destroyers available.^[198]

Conscription

Young men presenting to the Brazilian Army for recruitment, in 2014.

According to Article 143 of the 1988 Brazilian Constitution, military service is mandatory for men, but conscientious objection is allowed. Women and clergymen are exempt from compulsory military service. At the year that they complete age eighteen, men are required to register for the draft and are expected to serve when they reach age nineteen. About 95 percent of those registering receive deferments. A growing number of recruits are volunteers, accounting for about two-thirds of the total. Those who serve generally spend one year of regular enlistment at an army garrison near their home. Some are allowed nine-month service terms but are expected to complete high school at the same time. These are called "Tiros de Guerra" or "shooting schools", which are for high school boys in medium-sized interior towns, run by army senior NCO, first sergeants or sublieutenants, and rarely a second lieutenant. In Brazilian Armed Forces, first sergeants may be promoted to the officers rank, as second lieutenant, first lieutenant and captain, becoming part of the Auxiliary Officers Corps. The army is the only service with a large number of conscripts; the navy and air force have very few.

The conscript system is primarily a means of providing basic military training to a sizable group of young men who then return to civilian life and are retained on the reserve rolls until age forty-five. The army recognizes that it provides a public service by teaching large numbers of conscripts basic skills that can be valuable to the overall economy when the young men return to civilian life.

Officer recruitment

Graduation from the Military Academy of Agulhas Negras in 2019.

Preparatory School of the Brazilian Army (Escola Preparatória de Cadetes do Exército).

Because the only entry into the regular officer corps is the Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras – Military Academy of the Black Needles (AMAN), its records provide an accurate picture of the officer corps. In the decades following World War II, cadets from middle-class families increased, while those from upper-class and unskilled lower-class families declined. The total number of applicants also declined as a result of economic development diversification, which gave high school graduates more attractive options than entering the military. Increasingly, AMAN cadets came from among the graduates of the army-supported Military Schools, which sons of military personnel attended tuition free. Many of these students were sons of NCOs whose own origins were not middle class, so a form of intra-institutional, upward mobility existed.

The trend in the 1960s to recruit from civilian sources has abated. The mental, health, and physical aptitude tests excluded large numbers of civilian school graduates: in 1977 of 1,145 civilians attempting the tests, only thirty-four, or 3 percent, were admitted. In 1985 only 174, or 11 percent, of the AMAN's 1,555 cadets were graduates of civilian schools; the rest were from the army's Military School system, the Cadet Preparatory School (Escola Preparatória de Cadetes—EPC), or air force or navy secondary schools. In the early 1990s, AMAN cadets were drawn exclusively from those who had completed the EPC. By the mid-1990s, the AMAN's cadet population was about 3,000.

Working in a group at the Brazilian Army sergeants’ preparatory school.

In the twentieth century, the officer corps has been composed predominantly of men from the Southeast and South of Brazil, where military units and greater educational opportunities have been concentrated. In 1901–02 the Northeast contributed 38 percent of students at the army's preparatory school in Realengo, whereas in 1982 it provided only 13 percent to the preparatory school in Campinas. In the same years, the Southeast supplied 40.4 percent and 77 percent, while the South gave 8.6 percent and 6.3 percent. Although São Paulo, according to Alfred Stepan and other observers, has not been noted for sending its young men into the officer corps, its contribution increased from 4.3 percent of students in 1901–02 to 33.5 percent in 1982. Regional origins of cadets at the AMAN were fairly consistent in the 1964–85 period. By far the largest contingent came from the state and city of Rio de Janeiro.

Enlisted (conscripts) in a 20km march, final stage of the basic training of soldiers in the Brazilian Army.

Brazilian soldiers in training.

Although social theorists might be pleased with indications that the army is serving as a vehicle for social mobility, army leaders are concerned. Officers have remarked on the trend toward lower-class recruitment in the Training Center for Reserve Officers (Centro de Preparação de Oficiais da Reserva—CPOR) and the problems associated with such officers. In a 1986 interview, the former minister of army, General Leônidas Pires Gonçalves, observed that he did not want officers who would give only five or ten years to the army; he wanted individuals with a military vocation, who would stay for a full thirty-plus-year career. Many officers have expressed concern that those seeking to use the army to improve their status are not sufficiently dedicated to the institution. Indeed, some officers seek the earliest possible retirement in order to get a second job (second salary) to make ends meet.

Indigenous people in the Army

Indigenous soldiers of a Special Border Platoon

The genesis of the current Army in the fight against the foreign invader, in the 17th century, counted on the decisive participation of Felipe Camarão, named by the Portuguese court as Captain-Mor among the native indigenous peoples of Brazil. Along with Francisco Barreto de Meneses, André Vidal de Negreiros, Henrique Dias and João Fernandes Vieira, he was one of the patriarchs of the Brazilian Army.

Female soldier of the Brazilian Army in the 72nd Motorized Infantry Battalion.

In that sense, in the early 20th century, Marshal Cândido Mariano Rondon, a descendant of the Bororó, Terena and Guará ethnic groups, served in the Army. A pioneer of the Brazilian West and Amazonian frontiers, Rondon was noted for his respect for the indigenous peoples found in his exploratory missions. He is the Patron of the Signals Corps. Today's Army counts a number of ethnic community personnel among its ranks, especially in the western borders and the tough jungles of the Amazon.

Women in the Army

Women's participation in the Army is not without precedent. In 1823, Maria Quitéria de Jesus fought alongside other soldiers for Brazilian independence; during World War II (1939-1945), 73 Brazilian nurses served in various U.S. Army hospitals; and in 1992, the Brazilian Army Leadership Academy enrolled its first class of 49 women, admitting them into that institution's Auxiliary Officer Corps. Female service members were limited to support duties such as administration, health care, and teaching. The innovation is women's entry into combat career paths. In 2017 the Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras finally admitted its first females in the Corps of Cadets, as well as in the Escola Preparatória de Cadetes do Exército.

To begin a career with the army as officers, women officers of the ASCF must have completed a bachelor's degree in areas such as law, computer science, economics, or accounting. The competition is national in scope, and no applicant may be more than thirty-six years of age. Those accepted into the program study at the Army's School of Complementary Formation (former Army School of Administration) in Salvador, beginning as first lieutenants (reserve). The School of Complementary Formation is also open to men. At the end of the one-year course, the graduate is promoted to first lieutenant in the permanent ranks. If starting a career in the enlisted ranks, any woman enlistee would be required to at least be a secondary school graduate, the same for a lady cadet at the AMAN.

Central Command

Brazilian Army headquarters in Brasília.

COMMANDANT OF THE ARMY (Comandante do Exército (Cmt EX))^[204]

ARMY COMMAND (Comando do Exército (CEX)) – Brasília

• Superior advisory bodies (Órgãos de Assessoramento Superior):
  • Army High Command (Alto Comando do Exército (ACE))
  • Superior Council for Economy and Finances (Conselho Superior de Economia e Finanças (CONSEF))
  • Superior Council for Information Technology (Conselho Superior de Tecnologia da Informação (CONTIEX))
  • Superior Council for Rationalization and Transformation (Conselho Superior de Racionalização e Transformação (CONSURT))
• Government-owned enterprises and organisations (Entidades Vinculadas):
  • Army Housing Foundation (Fundação Habitacional do Exército (FHE))
  • War Materiel Industry of Brazil (Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil (IMBEL))
  • Osorio Foundation (Fundação Osorio (Fund Osorio))
• Bodies in direct assistance to the Commandant of the Army (Órgãos de Assistência Direta e Imediata ao Comandante do Exército (OADI))
  • Office of the Commandant of the Army (Gabinete do Comandante do Exército (GAB CMT Ex))
  • Army Intelligence Center (Centro de Inteligência do Exército (CIE))
  • Army Social Communication Center (Centro de Comunicação Social do Exército (CCOMSEx))
  • Army Internal Control Center (Centro de Controle Interno do Exército (CCIEx))
  • Army General Secretariat (Secretaria-Geral do Exército (SGEx))
• General directing body (Orgão de direção geral)
  • Army Staff (Estado-Maior do Exército)
    • Office of the Chief of Staff (Chefia)
    • Office of the Vice-Chief of Staff (Vice-Chefia)
    • 1st Department - Personnel, Education and Culture (1ª Subchefia - Pessoal, Educação e Cultura)
    • 2nd Department - Information and Cyber-Defence (2ª Subchefia - Informação e Defesa Cibernética)
    • 3rd Department - Land Forces Doctrine (3ª Subchefia - Doutrina Militar Terrestre)
    • 4th Department - Logistics, Mobilization and C&T (4ª Subchefia - Logística, Mobilização e C&T)
    • 5th Department - Management of Special and International Relations (5ª Subchefia - Ass Especiais e Internacionais)
    • 6th Department - Economy and Finances (6ª Subchefia - Economia e Finanças)
    • 7th Department - Policy and Strategy (7ª Subchefia - Política e Estratégia)
    • Special Administrative Office for Macroprojects of the Army (Assessoria Especial de Gestão e Projetos Macroprocessos do EB)
    • Army Office of Projects Management (Escritório de Projetos do Exército (EPEx))
• Bodies directing sector policies (Órgãos de Direção Setorial)
  • General Department of Personnel (Departamento-Geral do Pessoal (DGP))
  • Department of Education and Culture of the Army (Departamento de Educação e Cultura do Exército (DECEx))
  • Logistics Command (Comando Logístico (COLOG))
  • Land Operations Command (Comando de Operações Terrestres (COTER))
    • operational forces of the army (Força Terrestre)
  • Science and Technology Department (Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia (DCT))
  • Engineering and Construction Department (Departamento de Engenharia e Construção (DEC))
  • Economy and Finances Secretariat (Secretaria de Economia e Finanças (SEF))

Regional Commands

The Army is structured into eight military commands. Each of the eight military commands is responsible for one or more military regions.

• Eastern Military Command (Comando Militar do Leste; CML), (HQ: Rio de Janeiro) – 1st and 4th Military Regions
• Southeastern Military Command (Comando Militar do Sudeste; CMSE), (HQ: São Paulo) – 2nd Military Region
• Southern Military Command (Comando Militar do Sul; CMS), (HQ: Porto Alegre) – 3rd and 5th Military Regions
• Northeastern Military Command (Comando Militar do Nordeste; CMN), (HQ: Recife) – 6th, 7th and 10th Military Regions
• Western Military Command (Comando Militar do Oeste; CMO), (HQ: Campo Grande) – 9th Military Region
• Northern Military Command (Comando Militar do Norte; CMN), (HQ: Belém) – 8th Military Region
• Amazon Military Command (Comando Militar da Amazônia; CMA), (HQ: Manaus) – 12th Military Region
• Planalto Military Command (Comando Militar da Planalto; CMP), Planalto is Portuguese for high plain, (HQ: Brasília) – 11th Military Region

Military Regions

The Brazilian territory is further divided into twelve military regions. Each military region provides logistical support to operational units within its area of responsibility. Therefore, Military Regions are usually composed of units responsible for providing administration, logistics, transport, health and education. Military Regions are Division-sized units, commanded by Lieutenant Generals (Generais de Divisão). The current military regions are:

• 1st Military Region – States of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo (HQ: Rio de Janeiro)
• 2nd Military Region – State of São Paulo (HQ: São Paulo)
• 3rd Military Region – State of Rio Grande do Sul (HQ: Porto Alegre)
• 4th Military Region – State of Minas Gerais (HQ: Belo Horizonte)
• 5th Military Region – States of Paraná and Santa Catarina (HQ: Curitiba)
• 6th Military Region – States of Bahia and Sergipe (HQ: Salvador)
• 7th Military Region – States of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco and Alagoas (HQ: Recife)
• 8th Military Region – States of Maranhão, Pará and Amapá (HQ: Belém)
• 9th Military Region – States of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul (HQ: Campo Grande)
• 10th Military Region – States of Ceará and Piauí (HQ: Fortaleza)
• 11th Military Region – States of Goiás, Tocantins and the Federal District (HQ: Brasília)
• 12th Military Region – States of Amazonas, Acre, Roraima and Rondônia (HQ: Manaus)

Main units

Airmobile Infantry Brigade

The 12th Aeromobile Brigade is a major elite unit of the Brazilian Army. Headquartered in Caçapava in São Paulo. Its operation area covers the whole country. It is under the 2nd Army Division / Southeastern Military Command, based in São Paulo.

It is organized, equipped and trained for rapid-response missions at any point of the country. They can move by air using business jets and civilian aircraft, but their primary means of transportation are the Brazilian Air Force's rotorcraft, from the Command Army Aviation, usually based near their barracks. By performing their main function, the airborne assault, the Airmobile Brigade constitutes an effective, permanently available instrument of strategic reach, being an integral unit of the Strategic Task Force (Força de Ação Rápida Estratégica) of the Brazilian Army.^[205]

Army Aviation Brigade

Panther armed assault helicopter in Brazilian Army.

Brazilian army aviation EC725 Caracal.

The Army Aviation Command, also known as Ricardo Kirk Brigade, is a brigade of the Brazilian Army, located in Taubaté and linked to the Land Operations Command and the Southeastern Military Command. Its historical name is a reference to Captain Ricardo Kirk, pioneer of military aviation in Brazil, killed in battle in the Contestado War.

The task of the Brazilian Army Aviation Command is to provide organic airmobility and support the ground forces by providing tactical air support, close air support and reconnaissance.^[205]

Law and Order Operations Brigade

Law and order troops

The 11th Infantry Brigade is one of the brigades operating in the Brazilian Army. Its headquarters is located in Campinas, São Paulo.

This infantry brigade is specialized in operations in urban terrain, being able to act in cases of severe instability or danger to public order. The brigade is used in Brazil often in actions against organized crime and drug trafficking, especially in large urban centers.

It also has a Law Enforcement Operations Instruction Center and the Order is a School Subunit. Peculiar Employment Unit of the Brazilian Army in Law Enforcement and Order Operations and Military Operations in Urban Environments.

It is trained to operate both in case of riots and in the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking, when the local law enforcement agencies are unable to do so by themselves. Recently it has operated alongside other elite Army forces in the pacification of communities that were previously under control of drug traffickers in Rio de Janeiro.^[205]

Jungle Warfare Brigades

The Jungle Warfare Training Centre – Centro de Instrução de Guerra na Selva (CIGS), also known as the Colonel Jorge Teixeira Centre, is a military organisation based in Manaus, intended to qualify military leaders of small groups, as wilderness warriors, fighters able to accomplish military nature missions in the most inhospitable areas of the Brazilian rainforest.

Courses are taught in jungle operations scenery in different categories – Senior Officers, Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, Medical and Health Care Personnel, and small courses for the military, police forces and civilians. Its symbol is the jaguar. The Jungle Warfare Training Center (CIGS) is structured as Department of Education, a Department of Doctrine and Research, a Student Division, a Department of Veterinary Medicine, a Department of Administration and a Support Company.^[206]

Although officers and NCOs from all over Brazil can apply to take courses at CIGS, most of the troopers that support training are locals, natives from the area that are mainly privates and corporals. Because they are adapted to the conditions of the life inside the forest, they are more capable of performing a vast array of activities, such as hunting, hiding and moving through the forest with ease. Many foreigners and Brazilian military personnel that underwent training at CIGS have described the impressive abilities shown by these soldiers during operations. Their experience and skills in jungle survival certainly help shaping the Brazilian Jungle Warfare Brigades into deadliest units of its kind in the world.

The Brigades also have experience in combat. Engaged in protecting the northern borders of Brazil, the troops are constantly exposed to attacks from border countries' guerrillas, drug dealers, and criminals of all kinds. The Brazilian Army commonly acts along with other law enforcement organisations in order to fight not only the drugs trafficking, but also animals, weapons, people and several other illegal deeds.

Paratroopers Brigade

The Paratroopers Brigade is a major elite unit of the Brazilian Army. Its headquarters is located in Vila Militar, in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Subordinate to the Eastern Military Command, based in Rio de Janeiro, in conjunction with the Land Operations Command, based in Brasilia.

The brigade is one of the elite forces of the Brazilian Army prepared to act on within 48 hours anywhere in the country, is in the jungle, savanna, marsh and mountain, and remain without logistical support for up to 72 hours, being able to parachute jump quickly to the frontlines or behind enemy lines. After completion of the mission, handing territory to another conventional unit to maintain the position gained, according to the doctrine of the Brazilian Army training, usually a unit or a brigade of armoured Infantry will be responsible for replacing the Paratrooper Brigade field after the transfer of the territory to another unit of the Ground Force. The Paratrooper Brigade is then thrown back behind enemy lines once more to make way for the Allied troops.

Brazilian Army Paratrooper

The Brigade is a fundamental part of the Strategic Task Force (Força de Ação Rápida Estratégica), by being able to quickly operate in any part of the national territory in case of war or invasion.

Due to the deadly and dangerous nature of this brigade's missions, the Brazilian paratroopers have a unique ethos. For instance, while regular infantry troops use black boots and green berets, the paratroopers use brown boots and red berets. They consider themselves superior to the "Pé pretos" (black foots), which are the regular infantrymen. The Brazilian Army's motto, "Brasil acima de tudo!" (Brazil, above everything else) was originally the paratroopers' war cry before it was popularized (nowadays, it's a common greeting between the military to say this motto). The paratroopers are very proud of themselves, and they always stand out when they are among other troops.^[207]

Special Operations Brigade

A SOF Brazilian soldiers

Parade of Special Forces Command in Brasilia.

The Special Operations Brigade is Brazil's special operations force. Although administratively assigned to the Plateau Military Command, the brigade's operations are under the direct control of the Land Operations Command.^[208] The Special Forces were initially formed in 1957 as a parachute trained rescue unit, which specialized in conducting deep jungle rescues along the Amazon basin. After conducting its initial selection, a US Army Special Forces Mobile Training Team (MTT) conducted the unit's first training course.^[209]

Nowadays, it is specialized in non conventional warfare, performing psychological operations and harassing bigger enemy units, such as Brigades and Divisions. Acting in smalls cells and detachments (usually no more than 20 men), the Special Forces act deep behind enemy lines, and are capable of fighting in extremely unfavorable situations.

Brazilian soldier SOF in 2022.

For its creation, the Army Command issued decrees organizing the core of the Brigade (Nu Bda Op Esp), reporting initially to the Brigade Parachute Infantry. Most of its subordinate organizations were stationed in the area of Camboatá (West Zone of Rio de Janeiro), where he was the 1st BFEsp, whose commander served, cumulatively, in the initial phase, the command of Nu Bda Op Esp and management of project deployment.

Infiltration with helicopters.

Its motto is "any mission, in any place, at any time, by every way". Related Commandos troops, a battalion the size of Special Operations Brigade, has an analogous motto: "The maximum confusion, death and destruction in the deep rear of the enemy".

Special command unit, known as saboteurs, elite troops to operate behind enemy lines

It is also capable of performing other types of missions, such as counter-terrorism, strategic scouting, finding and attacking high-value targets and stealing, extracting and evading. Due to the extremely high level of danger of those missions, this unit is composed of only a few members, who must have completed the Commandos and Paraquedista (Commandos and Paratroopers). They are highly specialized and ready to operate anywhere in the world in less than 45 hours. Because of this, they are recognized as one of the most prestigious units in the Brazilian Army.

The unit's baptism of fire took place in the 1970s during operations against the force of the Araguaia Guerrilla, when the hitherto Detachment Special Forces, with their effective command and special forces, was the only unit that fought almost uninterruptedly throughout the campaign, whether in combat actions, or espionage, without the engagement of the controls and special forces of the army, the defeat of the guerrillas would have been more difficult, since such military are experts in counter-guerrilla of the Brazilian Army.

In 1991, guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, entered the Brazilian territory and attacked a small Brazilian Army border contingent, the response was immediate, and the then Special Forces Battalion held in conjunction with other units, retaliation operation, Operation Traira, and the result was 12 dead guerrillas, captured numerous, most of the weapons and equipment recovered.

Recently under the aegis of the United Nations, the Special Operations Brigade played a decisive role in combating the paramilitary groups that plagued the Haitian territory and caused great political instability in the country, and the 1st Special Forces Battalion, 1st Command Action Battalion and the 1st Psychological operations Battalion the only army units that send military in all contingent to MINUSTAH since the beginning of the mission, and special operations performed by these units were fundamental to the pacification of Port-au-Prince.^[210]

Mountain Operations Brigade

Mountain light infantry

Mountain Operations Brigade is a specialized infantry brigade of the Brazilian Army. Its headquarters is located in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. Its catchment area covers the state of Minas Gerais and Petropolis. It is administered by the 1st Army Division / Eastern Military Command, headquartered in Rio de Janeiro.

4th Mountain Infantry Brigade, a unit of the Brazilian Army specializing in mountain combat operation, improving and developing special techniques of mountain operations, and using equipment and weapons specific to this theater of operations, has established itself over the years as an elite troop, even multiplying their special techniques to other Brazilian military units, which will attend their courses and internships, assisting the training of the members of the Strategic Task Force (Força de Ação Rápida Estratégica) of the Brazilian Army.

During World War II, the Brazilian infantry had a major highlight in the conquest of the town of Montese situated in mountainous terrain and heavily defended by the Germans as the last bastion to stop the advancing allied troops toward the Po Valley. On April 14, 1945, the massive Montese became the scene of the most arduous and bloody battle of Brazilian arms in Italy, in the words of their own Commander Brazilian Expeditionary Force Marechal Mascarenhas de Morais. Having led the main effort of the attack as fighting in dense minefields and under heavy fire from German machine guns, they were finally able to conquer Montese.

Fast Motorized Operations Brigade

Motorized Operations Brigade Large Infantry, Brasilia 2022

The 3rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, also known as the Viscount of Porto Seguro's Own Brigade, is one of the Brigades of the Brazilian Army. Its headquarters is located in Crystal, in Goiás State. It is subject to the Planalto Military Command, with headquarters in Brasilia. Its subordinate military organizations are located in the Federal District and the states of Goiás, Tocantins and Minas Gerais region known as Triangulo Mineiro. Its historic name is a tribute to the Viscount of Porto Seguro, Francisco Adolfo Varnhagem.

The 3rd Brigade is part of the strategic reserve of the Brazilian Army, but should be able to be employed at any time and in any part of Brazil. Being a mechanized formation, it can be deployed fast enough anywhere nationwide either for conventional operations or to reinforce the military police in keeping public order, and can still perform promptly any motorized, airmobile or airborne action.

1st Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Battalion

Troops of the Brazilian Army prepared for biological warfare

The 1st Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defesne Battalion, raised in 2012 by the redesignation of the Army CBRN Defense Company, is the only one of its kind in the Brazilian Army, and its members are trained for combat in chemical, biological and nuclear warfare (as the name suggests), mainly in control and decontamination of weapons, local and military equipment.

The battalion's origin dates back to 1953, when the Chemical Warfare Company, originally subject to the Reverse Split Units-School (RSUS) was set up on the premises of the Special Education School (SES)

On December 31, 1987, the Chemical Warfare School was extinguished and, in its place, the CBRN Company was created, based in the city of Rio de Janeiro and subordinated to the Board of Specialization and Extension.

17th Border Battalion (Swamp Operations )

Infantry border Pantanal.

The 17th BB is an elite unit of the Brazilian Army, specializing in swamp operations that is located in the city of Corumbá, state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Its main missions, ensuring the western border of Brazil, the development and improvement of technical and operational doctrines and special combat specific swampy environment (present in many places in the world) and also multiply its technical operations in wetland units members Strategic Task Force (Força de Ação Rápida Estratégica)of the Brazilian Army, but specifically, offering a course of Wetland Operations (Operações no Pantanal) to the Special Operations Brigade, Parachute Infantry Brigade and the 12th Light Infantry Brigade (airborne), units within the Strategic Task Force, and also military from other regions, particularly the Western Military Command, which is responsible for the protection of the western border of the Brazilian territory. Besides that, there are also exchanges of techniques and experiences with the Brazilian Marines, which also apply to the Wetland Operations course and are remarkably skilled in amphibious operations.

72nd Motorized Infantry Battalion (Caatinga/Savanna Operations)

Fighters of Caatinga.

The 72nd MIB is an elite unit of the Brazilian Army based in Petrolina, being the only unit of the Brazilian Army to train the warfighter to the operating environment of Caatinga and Savanna. The Caatinga Operations Instructions Center, covering an area of approximately 28,000 km², is within the territory of the battalion.

The facilities of the Caatinga Operations Instructions Center are comprised in an area which belongs to the Ministry of Defence, named the Field Instruction Iron Tank Farm, responsible for the formation of the Caatinga battle combatant in this environment. The vegetation is aggressive and thorny, the sun is very harsh for most of the daytime and water is sparse. The conditions of this area are very difficult to withstand and soldiers who finish this course are acknowledged as Caatinga Warriors of the Brazilian Army, as described by the Brazilian Army in its website (in Portuguese).^[211]

Special Border Platoons

A Brazilian soldiers from a special platoon on patrol, 2022

Special border platoons are a kind of advanced vanguard. Composed of an average of 50 soldiers and officers, and following similar architectural patterns, they are distributed in strategic border points, almost always located on the banks of large rivers, the only means of transportation on the surface. None of them are accessible by road.

The three pillars “combat, life and work” support the mission. Essentially military activities, survival and various services, both for the benefit of the Military Organization (OM) and for the benefit of the civilian communities that live in the vicinity of the respective barracks, synthesize the maintenance of national sovereignty, overcoming obstacles inherent to isolation such as the difficulties of communication and logistical support. Scattered along the Brazilian border, they go beyond the simple vivification of the border strip by establishing populations. According to the Strategic Information from the Center for Strategic Studies of the Army, in addition to being present, being present facilitates the involvement of government bodies, both civilian and military.

Amazon Military Command Boat Center

Army vessels operating in the Amazon rivers.

The Center for Ships of the Military Command of the Amazon is a unique unit within the Brazilian Army, but that very well represents the peculiarities existing in the military organization of the Military Command of the Amazon. Coming from the 1st Special Transport Company, created on October 1, 1969, the Vessel Center is responsible for tactical and logistical river transport within the scope of the 12th Military Region, a mission that has a constant in overcoming them more varied challenges. In addition to being operational.

The inexistence of cartographic references, lack of signaling of critical points, the regime of the rivers, the isolation, the difficulties in communications, the differentiated maintenance of the means used and the primordial need to have specialized and qualified personnel to safely guide the employed boats, these are just a few examples of the obstacles faced in this peculiar type of transport. In order to meet not only the needs, but also those of the other military organization that have vessels, the Command Boat Center minister under the supervision of the DEE, the River Navigation Course, which lasts 16 weeks, is intended for the training of future vessel commanders.

The Amazon Military Command Vessel Center consists of the Command, 3 Company and 1 Teaching Division.^[212]

Presidential Guard

Presidential Guard Battalion during a flag ceremony at the Plaza of the Three Powers

The Presidential Guard Battalion is a unit of the Brazilian Army and honor guard to the President of Brazil. Two other units, the 1st Guards Cavalry Regiment and the Cayenne Battery, are also part of the presidential honor guard unit, and they all report to Army HQ.

The PGB had its origins in the Emperor's Battalion, organized in 1823 during the peace campaigns that followed the Declaration of Independence as the guards unit for the Imperial Family of Brazil, and as such wears its 19th-century uniforms. Disbanded in 1827, it was reformed in 1933.

1st Guards Cavalry Regiment.

The 1st Guards Cavalry Regiment, also known as the "Dragões da Independência" (Independence Dragoons), is the squadron-sized horse guards regiment of the Army. The name was given in 1927 and refers to the fact that a detachment of dragoons escorted the Prince Royal of Portugal, Pedro VI, at the time when he declared Brazilian independence from Portugal, on September 7, 1822. The Independence Dragoons wear 19th century uniforms similar to those of the earlier Imperial Honor Guard, which are used as the regimental full dress uniform since 1927. The uniform was designed by Debret, in white and red, with plumed bronze helmets. The colors and pattern were influenced by the Austrian dragoons of the period, as the Brazilian Empress Consort was also an Austrian Archduchess. The color of the plumes varies according to rank. The Independence Dragoons are armed with lances and sabres, the latter only for the officers and the colour guard.

Presidential Guard Battalion anti-riot suit.

The regiment was established in 1808 by the Prince Regent and future king of Portugal, John VI, with the duty of protecting the Portuguese royal family, which had sought refuge in Brazil during the Napoleonic wars. However, dragoons had existed in Portugal since at least the early 18th century, and in 1719, units of this type of cavalry were sent to Brazil, initially to escort shipments of gold and diamonds and to guard the Viceroy who resided in Rio de Janeiro (1st Cavalry Regiment – Vice-Roy's Horse Guard Squadron). Later, they were also sent to the south to serve against the Spanish during frontier clashes. After the proclamation of Brazilian independence, the title of the regiment was changed to that of the Imperial Honor Guard, with the role of protecting the Imperial Family. The guard was later disbanded by Emperor Pedro II and would be recreated only later in the republican era, this time as the horse guards unit mandated to defend and protect the President of Brazil and his First Family, the Vice President of Brazil and all offices of the national government. At the time of the Republic proclamation in 1889, horse #6 of the Imperial Honor Guard was ridden by the officer making the declaration, Second Lieutenant Eduardo José Barbosa, with the permission of Field Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca. This is commemorated by the custom under which the horse having this number is used only by the commander of the modern regiment, usually a superior officer with the rank of a lieutenant colonel.

The regiment maintains its own band, which also serves as the official presidential band.

Army Police Battalions and Platoons

Brazilian Army Police troops in riot gear

The Army Police Branch is composed of specialized units of the Brazilian Army Infantry, who develop and perform the mission of military police along the headquarters of major commands and major units of Land Force garrisons.

As operating units of the Army Police, there are several battalions, companies, and platoons, including riot control, K-9, motorcyclists, and regular troops. Military Police of the Brazilian Army are identified by the use of black armband with the letters "PE" in white (or white armband with red letters).

Commonly, the term "Military Police" is used to refer to the State Military Police Forces.

Current equipment of the Brazilian Army

• 
  M-60A3 TTS of the Brazilian Army.
• 
  Launch of an cruise missile MTC-300 from an Astros II MK6
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  Agrale Marruá AM23 convoy in Brazilian northeast
• 
  Garrison of a Leopard 1A5 tank of the Brazilian Army
• 
  A combined arms squadron of the Brazilian Army in 2021
• 
  Armored Vehicle VBTP-MR Guarani mechanized infantry
• 
  EC725 Caracal helicopter
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  105mm artillery battery of the Brazilian Army.
• 
  ASTROS 2020 multiple rocket launcher in action
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  Igla System
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  VBTP-MR Guarani with the REMAX turret
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  Army Aviation Helicopter formation.
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  Agrale Marruá AM2 light reconnaissance vehicle
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  UAV NAURU 1000C made by brazilian company XMobots and operated by the Brazilian Army.

Historical equipment

Citations

Bibliography

Articles

Academic works

Books