On November 19, the Argentine Navy marked the 145th anniversary of the founding of the Cuerpo de Artillería de Costa, established in 1879 and recognized as the institutional origin of today's Infantería de Marina. The occasion, designated the Día de la Infantería de Marina, prompted the Navy to reaffirm its recognition of all members of the corps and their contribution to the defense of the nation's maritime interests.

The body was created by decree of President Nicolás Avellaneda, responding to the need to strengthen protection of Argentina's maritime coastline during a period of national consolidation and concern over potential external threats. Its initial function focused on the installation and operation of coastal batteries to defend the country's strategic ports. Although the press release notes that the corps has roots reaching back to the era of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, its formal organic existence began with that founding decree.

A pivotal transformation came in 1946 with the promulgation of Law No. 12,883, which formally established the Marine Infantry as an amphibious force of the Navy, unified its uniforms and ranks with those of the broader Armada Argentina, and created the Comando General de Infantería de Marina. General Jorge Schilling was appointed its first commander and, under the provisions of the same law, attained the rank of Contraalmirante — becoming the first Marine Infantry officer to hold that grade.

The 1946 reform also drove a comprehensive reorganization of the corps, the development of a specific operational doctrine, specialized training procedures, and the incorporation of new technological resources suited to the operational demands of the era.

The Argentine Navy states that the Infantería de Marina currently participates in amphibious operations, maritime defense, peacekeeping missions, humanitarian assistance, and community support tasks, tracing all of these roles back to the coastal artillery corps founded 145 years ago.

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