Editing Spanish Legion (section)

==Modern legion==
In the 2000s, after the abandonment of [[conscription]], the Spanish Legion once again accepted foreigners into service. Male and female native Spanish speakers, mostly from Central American and South American states, were included.

Today, acceptance to the Spanish Legion is based on the following criteria:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ejercito.mde.es/organizacion/legion/igresaresfacil.htm |title=Ministerio de Defensa. Nodo de Internet |publisher=Ejercito.mde.es |access-date=2011-11-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118085108/http://www.ejercito.mde.es/organizacion/legion/igresaresfacil.htm |archive-date=2009-01-18 }}</ref>
*Be a Spanish citizen; although citizens from former [[Spanish empire|Spanish territories]] also can join (foreign recruits are required to have a valid Spanish residence permit).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soldados.com/como_ingresar/extranjeros.htm |title=Fuerzas Armadas Españolas |publisher=soldados.com |access-date=2011-11-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120015701/http://www.soldados.com/como_ingresar/extranjeros.htm |archive-date=2011-11-20 }}</ref>
*Be a citizen in good legal standing
*Not be deprived of civil rights
*Be at least 18 years of age and not be 29 on the day of joining boot camp.
*Be able to pass psychological, physical and medical evaluations

[[Image:Spanish Legion Bastille Day 2007.jpg|thumb|The Spanish Legion on the [[Bastille Day Military Parade]] in [[Paris]] (2007)]]
In recent years, the Spanish Legion was involved in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]] as part of the [[SFOR]]. It also took part in the [[Iraq War]], deploying in [[Najaf]] alongside [[El Salvador|Salvadoran]] troops, until the new Spanish government of [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]] fulfilled its electoral promises by withdrawing Spanish troops from Iraq. The legion units deployed in Iraq were involved in several operations against the insurgency. In 2005, the legion was deployed in [[Afghanistan]] as part of the [[NATO]]-led [[International Security Assistance Force|International Stabilisation Force]] (ISAF). In 2006, the 10th Bandera was sent to Southern Lebanon as part of United Nations' Operation [[UNIFIL]].<ref name="20 Minutos">''[http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/167784/0/Libano/Legion/relevo/ La Legión asume el mando en Líbano tras culminar Infantería de Marina su misión]'', 31 October 2006, [[20 Minutos]].</ref>

===Present role and deployment===
The Spanish Legion is now mostly used in NATO peacekeeping missions. It has 5,000 soldiers in a Brigade of two Tercios (regiments) based in [[Ronda]], [[Málaga]] and [[Viator]], [[Almería]] ([[Andalusia]]). Two other independent ''tercios'' are deployed in the Spanish African enclaves of [[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]] as part of their respective garrisons. The legion is directly controlled by the Spanish [[General Staff]].

Although the detachment at [[Málaga]] was transferred away, each year a company of legionaries from one of the Tercios (regiments) returns to march in the [[Holy Week in Málaga|Holy Week]] procession with the ''Christ of the Good Death'', a life-size effigy of Christ Crucified, adopted by the legion as Patron in the 1920s. It also has its own confraternity with its home chapel located in this historic city, where veterans who served in this unit are counted among its membership. The Legion's detachments also take part in various Holy Week events nationwide, including its military band.

[[Image:Spanish legionaries in Iraq DM-SD-05-11384.jpg|thumb|Legionnaires in [[Iraq]].]]