WILLEMSTAD - Last Friday, the students of the new basic Coast Guard (BOK) training course marched into Parera Naval Base after four intensive training weeks. On January 20, the 18 young people from Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten started at the BOK with the aim of a great career at the Coast Guard. During the training weeks they are challenged both physically and mentally.

Under the guidance of coast guard instructors, the youngsters have spent the past four weeks in different camps, marched for miles, swam, cooked, kayaked, built rafts, followed programs in the classroom and completed amphibious exercises.

Their final exercise took place on the night of Thursday 13 to 14 February and ended with an advance at the Naval Base Parera. To welcome them, many future colleagues stood on either side of the entrance to receive them with loud applause. Next week the students will start the next part of the course, namely nautical education. The Coast Guard wishes the new students every success.