The year was 1976. UAE troops arrived in war-torn Lebanon as part of an Arab humanitarian force.
Participation of the country's troops was an early commitment to global peacekeeping that came in the same year the UAE Armed Forces were unified.
On May 6, 1976, the defence forces of the seven emirates came under one UAE flag and central command, marking an important milestone in the building of a modern country.
Since the unification, the Armed Forces have kept the country secure, while also participated in humanitarian campaigns, such as in Kosovo, Somalia and Kuwait. The Armed Forces are also part of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen and are distributing aid there to those who need it the most.
Now, 43 years on, President Sheikh Khalifa has paid tribute to all those who made that journey such a success.
To mark Monday's anniversary, Sheikh Khalifa told the military journal, Nation Shield, there is no development without security and no security without a strong national army.
"Apart from their key mandates of defending the nation, engaging in international efforts aimed at settling disputes and confronting disasters, offering humanitarian assistance and participating in regional and global peacekeeping missions, our Armed Forces remain a school for deepening the values of loyalty, belonging and citizenship and an institution for cementing national unity and enhancing national identity and solidarity," he said.
In 2014, the UAE introduced national service and Sheikh Khalifa said this had provided a real backup to the military and ingrained in the UAE youth respect for tradition, discipline and responsibility.
Looking ahead, Sheikh Khalifa said the Emirates would continue to invest in the most advanced equipment and the best training programmes.
"Armament, modernisation, training, rehabilitation and care for their personnel is a strategic goal and a top national priority for our Government," said Sheikh Khalifa.
"We will supply them with the most sophisticated weapons and technologies, advanced defence and administrative systems and best international military practices so these forces can occupy a leading position among the world's most strongest armies."
