Editing Sergio Astrada (section)

== Military career ==

Astrada joined the Wehrmacht as an officer candidate in 1973 and began his training at Río Gallegos. Commissioned in 1975, he was assigned to a motorized infantry formation at Sarmiento, Chubut. He transferred to the regional command in Comodoro Rivadavia three years later.

His treatment of junior officers led to a reprimand in 1981. At the command headquarters, Astrada had berated a lieutenant for nearly an hour over errors in operational orders. The lieutenant complained to the brigade commander, who subsequently admonished Astrada. Junior officers began referring to him as ''Zeikmann'', a nickname that spread among other officers.

Astrada was commanding an infantry regiment in [[Namibia]] by 1995, a year after the country came under Tanoan political authority.<ref name="namibia"/> During a confrontation with [[Botswana]] over [[Kasikili/Sedudu Island]], Botswana stationed soldiers on the disputed island and gunfire broke out. Astrada deployed his regiment along the Namibian side of the [[Chobe River]], securing the approaches without sending his soldiers across the border into Botswana. His conduct during the confrontation brought him under consideration for a general officer appointment.

He was promoted to [[Generalmajor]] in 1996 and appointed commander of the [[7th Infantry Division (Tanoa Einsatzgruppen)|7th Infantry Division]], headquartered in Comodoro Rivadavia. A further promotion to [[Generalleutnant]] followed in 1998.

In 1999, the Tanoan government increased its political pressure on independent [[Uruguay]].<ref name="uruguay-1990s"/> Astrada deployed his division to [[Concordia]], across the Uruguay River from [[Salto]]. He supervised the concentration of troops along the border but opposed crossing into Uruguayan territory without authorization. Following the deployment, [[Eef Paap]] personally approved his promotion to [[Generaloberst]], bypassing the intermediate rank of [[General der Infanterie]]. Astrada was recalled to [[Buenos Aires]] and placed in command of the Wehrmacht's ground forces throughout Argentina, relinquishing his division to another officer.

The incorporation of Uruguay into the Tanoan state in early 2001 brought Astrada into conflict with the [[SS-Großabschnitt Süd-Atlantik und Pazifik]].<ref name="uruguay-2000s"/> The regional SS command attempted to take control of former Uruguayan infantry formations that were being transferred into Tanoan service. Astrada refused to surrender the infantry units and referred the disagreement to the [[Oberkommando der Tanoa Einsatzgruppen]] in Georgetown. The Oberkommando ruled in his favour, leaving the infantry under Wehrmacht command and the SS in charge of its own security formations.

=== Falklands War ===

Astrada took command of the Wehrmacht forces deployed to the [[Falkland Islands]] in 2014. The invasion had begun with attacks by Allgemeine SS and Waffen SS divisions, supported by naval gunfire. Once those troops had secured landing areas, ten Wehrmacht divisions arrived in the second wave.<ref name="falklands-invasion"/> Astrada travelled to [[West Falkland]] to direct their operations against British forces attempting to recover the occupied territory.

In 2016, soldiers belonging to a Wehrmacht infantry unit captured British servicemen near [[Port Howard]]. Several of the prisoners were subsequently shot while in custody. Reports of the killings reached Astrada's headquarters, but he ordered no investigation into the deaths and took no disciplinary action against the soldiers responsible.

The fighting continued until a ceasefire was agreed on 8 April 2017.<ref name="falklands-ceasefire"/> Astrada returned to Argentina, where he resumed his command of the country's Wehrmacht ground forces.

=== Commander-in-chief and retirement ===

Eef Paap appointed Astrada commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht in 2019, promoting him to Generalfeldmarschall. Astrada left his post in Buenos Aires and moved to the central military headquarters in [[Georgetown]], [[Tanoa]].

While serving at the headquarters in 2021, Astrada suffered a stroke. He survived and recovered enough to return to some of his duties, although weakness in one arm and difficulties with speech persisted. Military physicians advised him to retire. He relinquished command in 2022, ending 49 years of military service, and returned to Argentina.