His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), accompanied by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, on Tuesday visited the 40th King Hussein bin Talal Royal Armoured Brigade, which is one of the formations in the Central Military Zone.

The visit, attended by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Hneiti, saw King Abdullah marking Veterans Day alongside a number of retired brothers in arms who served with His Majesty in the Second Royal Armoured Battalion.

The King paid tribute to all military retirees, thanking them for their service, dedication and sacrifice for the nation.

For their part, the retired servicemen expressed appreciation of His Majesty’s outreach and pride for having served alongside the King, noting that they will always remain ready to serve the homeland.

Also during the visit, His Majesty was briefed on the Zayed tank, which recently entered into service, and toured a museum that documents the Battalion’s history.

During his military service, the King, as lieutenant colonel in 1992, became commander of the Second Royal Armoured Battalion, which is part of the 40th King Hussein bin Talal Royal Armoured Brigade.

His Majesty also led one of the battalion’s platoons as a second lieutenant in his early military career.

Formed on 15 October 1952, the battalion is one of the oldest in the JAF. It fought in the 1967 and 1973 wars, and 53 of its personnel gave their lives as martyrs defending the homeland.

February 15th was designated as Veterans Day, upon the King’s directives in 2012, in recognition of the services and sacrifices of military personnel.