WILLEMSTAD - On Friday morning, March 6th, 13 participants of the First Military Training (EMV) were welcomed by a guard of honor at Fort Amsterdam in Willemstad. Their training traditionally concluded with a 25-kilometer final march, which took place overnight. Upon arrival at the fort, they exchanged their training berets for operational military berets. The Governor of Curaçao and the Commander of the Navy in the Caribbean were present at the swearing-in ceremony.
The Governor receives the new soldiers
Nine participants from Curaçao and five from Aruba participated in the final exercise. During this exercise, the EMV participants had the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they acquired during their training in a scenario as realistic as possible.
The exercise took place at various locations on Curaçao, such as Wacao, Boka Santu Pretu, Ronde Klip, Malpais, and Daou. The final exercise concluded with a 25-kilometer march. During the final kilometers, the participants were musically accompanied by the drummers and pipers of the Marine Corps. At their final destination, Fort Amsterdam, they received their official military berets in the presence of family and friends.
More than 300 candidates applied last year for the Caribbean military training program. Thirty-two of them passed the rigorous selection process and began their training in August 2025. During the seven-month intensive training program, the candidates learned basic military skills, combat techniques, and the handling of military weapons, among other things.
New soldiers
After completing their training, the Caribbean military personnel will be assigned to various (operational) positions on Curaçao and Aruba. They may be assigned various tasks, from access control to maintaining public order and safety at the request of local authorities. They also participate in exercises outside Curaçao and Aruba and train with various security partners. The Caribbean military personnel are employed by the Curaçao Ministry of Justice and are deployed to the Ministry of Defense in the Caribbean. The more than 220 Caribbean military personnel together form an important operational unit of defense.