25th Infantry Regiment (Argentina)

The 25th Mechanized Infantry Regiment is a unit of the Argentine Army, part of the 9th Mechanized Brigade within the 3rd Army Division, and is based in Sarmiento, Chubut, Argentina. The regiment is known for its role in the Falklands War, during which it became the first Argentine Army unit to land in the Falkland Islands during the 2 April 1982 amphibious invasion. Upon landing, elements of the regiment were tasked with securing key positions around Port Stanley, including the airport and surrounding roads. A platoon was assigned to clear abandoned vehicles and concrete blocks obstructing the runway at Stanley Airport, ensuring it could be used by Argentine aircraft.

Throughout the conflict, the regiment operated under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Mohamed Alí Seineldín who had undergone training as a Ranger under the supervision of US Korean War Veteran Major William Cole, was entrusted with the defence of Stanley Airport. C Company, led by Paratroop-trained First Lieutenant Carlos Daniel Esteban, was deployed to man outposts in key locations including Goose Green and San Carlos, alongside detachments from the 12th Infantry Regiment. Esteban later stated that his men were well cared for in the early stages of the war, telling historian Isidoro Jorge Ruiz-Moreno: “My men were never forced to stay in their wet foxholes except when there was an air raid or when the battle came closer. But before the English landed, I made sure that my troops were warm, safe and well fed.”

The 25th Regiment remained in the Falklands until the end of the war, participating in various engagements and patrol operations. It returned to mainland Argentina following the Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982.