Under Siege: The Age of the Trials

This chapter argues that military identity endures beyond “wartime” and continues to shape the behaviour of former officers from the Proceso. It shows that these officers view themselves as ongoing combatants, and that the social dimension of the military is crucial to understand not only their actions in the Seventies, but also their reflections and narratives in the years that followed. The chapter examines two key themes: the perspectives of military families on the recent trials for crimes against humanity and their collective and individual responses. Accused and imprisoned officers rely on social bonds and knowledge formed during their service, while their families, facing the trials’ challenges, develop a complex support system rooted in shared experiences and training from the Seventies. The study highlights how former officers, organised in the Unión de Promociones (UP), felt abandoned by their institution when trials began in 2005, leading them to strengthen horizontal ties with peers rather than vertical ties with superiors—a dynamic with historical precedent in the Argentine Army’s past rebellions. The chapter also explores the pivotal role of military wives, who form support networks mirroring the camaraderie among officers. The Asociaciòn Familiares y Amigos de Presos Políticos en Argentina (AFyAPPA) underscores this bond by uniting relatives and friends of political prisoners, reinforcing kinship and camaraderie ties. Ultimately, the chapter reveals the distinct gender roles within the military community, rooted in the separate spheres established during the Seventies, and how these roles shape the community’s response to external condemnation.