Five ARUMIL marines were sworn in during a ceremony held at the Marine Barracks in Savaneta. The ceremony also included various promotions, recognizing the professional development of several other ARUMIL members. During the event, acting commander of ARUMIL, Captain Lourenço Teixeira, explained that the ceremony was primarily for the five marines who successfully completed the marine training (mariniersopleiding). “Five ARUMIL marines have successfully passed the marine training, and today they took their oath or promise. In addition, four marines were promoted from second to first class. Two marines were also promoted to corporal within the security group at the Savaneta Marine Barracks,” said Captain Teixeira. Among the special guests were the Governor of Aruba, H.E. Alfonso Boekhoudt; Prime Minister Mike Eman; the Commander of Naval Forces in the Caribbean, Walter Hansen; and the families of the soldiers involved. Captain Teixeira noted that this latest group marks a historic moment, as it is the first time the unit has two female soldiers. “That is an important step for ARUMIL. For the first time, we have female military personnel in our unit,” he pointed out.
Recruitment continues ARUMIL is actively working to strengthen its organization. According to Captain Teixeira, the intensive recruitment campaign of the recent period has yielded positive results. “We have intensified our recruitment, including within the community. We now have a group that will begin marine training on August 30, which will partially take place in Curaçao.” After the summer holidays, ARUMIL will launch a new plan to recruit more young people. New vacancies for marines will open during the month of August, marking the start of the selection process for the next group of candidates.
