The devastating consequences of a natural disaster force countries to cooperate, in accordance with international regulations, utilizing all their resources, capabilities and specialized teams to mitigate its consequences properly. It is within this context that countries show greater solidarity, providing their logistical and technical support to the affected nation. Due to their availability, influence and equipment, the Armed Forces are a powerful tool for every State’s foreign action.

The creation of UME turned Spain into a pioneer nation in the specialization and use of its Armed Forces in catastrophes. UME has caught the attention of other nations and international organizations and has become a role model in the use of military forces in emergencies.

Many countries have shown their interest in this project, which has already proven its effectiveness in missions such as earthquakes in Haiti, Nepal and Ecuador, where the Urban Search and Rescue teams from UME collaborated with other national and international emergency services, and wildfires in Chile and Portugal, through the European Union civil protection.

For all those reasons, UME has become the first military unit classified by the United Nations as an Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team. Its value is proven by the fact that its name is used as an example in international forums and by the signing of agreements with international organizations such as the Central American Armed Forces Conference (CFAC).