WILLEMSTAD - Major of the Marines A. Boonstra took over command of the Suffisant Marine Barracks in Curaçao yesterday. He succeeded Major of the Marines Steven Baan during a ceremonial event attended by invited guests and the entire barracks crew. 

The new commander aims to continue the current collaboration with local partners. He is committed to ensuring that local units are always ready to be deployed quickly when requested by the authorities, both within the Caribbean region in general and around Curaçao in particular. 

Steven Baan reflects on a remarkable period: "In recent years, CURMIL has significantly expanded and developed, and it can now compare well with equivalent units in the Caribbean. The recent inclusion of women in this unit demonstrates that equality is not just an aspiration but a reality. The (re)start of the Social Formation Program, where the Curaçao government collaborates interministerially with the defense to offer the youth of Curaçao a promising trajectory for the future, serves as an example for many partnerships within OUR kingdom. All this on an increasingly larger and more modern barracks. Nos Suffisant." 

Suffisant is a marine barracks housing the operational company of CURMIL, where both Curaçaoan and Aruban military personnel are trained at the Carib training center. Caribbean soldiers begin their military careers here during their initial basic military training. The Social Formation Program also takes place here, and Suffisant is the base for the Curaçao Volunteer Corps. The Social Formation Program is a key part of the cooperation project with the government, with a portion of the project consisting of a four-month training period. This military training is primarily intended to teach basic skills and provide a better future. 

Parera Naval Base 

This week, a command transfer also took place at Parera Naval Base. On Monday, July 1, Commander Hezemans handed over command to Commander Heerik. The ceremony took place on the parade ground of the Naval Base.