T.R., one of the 144 servicemen born in Tarragona, decided to join the army after dropping out of college and leaving a job at the Port of Tarragona which he found monotonous. He explained that he was seeking new stimuli and learning opportunities.
“"Patriotism has awakened in me. But not towards the flag or towards Spain as a figure, but towards its people, whether they are Andalusians, Spaniards, Catalans, or Basques."
The soldier acknowledges that, as a Catalan, he had certain expectations about the internal atmosphere, especially regarding intolerance or racism, but states that these attitudes are a minority. He is also aware that joining the Spanish Army is not well regarded in Catalonia, but assures he has not had problems due to his identity.
Regarding modernization, T.R. highlights that the army is making efforts in training on gender and equality, although he believes this may be both for modernization and for 'image laundering'. However, he is much more critical of the technological preparation for current war scenarios, such as the one in Ukraine.
“"Compared to everything that other European Union countries can bring, we are very far behind."
