Commandos (Portugal)

The Commandos (Portuguese: Comandos) are a special operations unit in the Portuguese Army. Their parent unit is the Commando Regiment (Regimento de Comandos). Their motto is Audaces Fortuna Juvat (Latin for "Fortune Favors the Bold") and their war cry is Mama Sumae (it can be translated as "here we are, ready for the sacrifice" – taken from a Bantu tribe of southern Angola). They were created in Angola during 1962, in the scope of the Portuguese Overseas War, as counter-guerrilla forces, combat patrol in dangerous and difficult to reach areas, irregular warfare, long-range penetration, and special reconnaissance, thus responding to the need of the Portuguese Army to have special units specially adapted to the type of war. Initially operating in the Angolan theatre, later units of Commandos also operated in the Portuguese Guinea and Mozambique theatres The Portuguese Commandos are analogous to the 75th Ranger Regiment and Army Special Forces of the US Army.