After eight weeks of boarding school, 720 Apprentice Marines, including the first 120 women of the course, wore the Navy’s white uniform for the first time
By 1T (RM2-T) Thais Portella
Wearing the white uniform of the Brazilian Navy (MB) for the first time and singing military songs, the Apprentice Marines (A-FN), divided into their companies, reunited with their loved ones last Friday, April 12. The students of the Marine Soldier Training Course spent almost two months as interns at the Admiral Milcíades Portela Alves Instruction Center (CIAMPA), where they faced an intense routine of physical activities and were able to learn about the duties and responsibilities inherent to a Marine Soldier. For the first time, the course was attended by 120 women, reaffirming MB’s commitment to the participation of women in all areas of activity, including operational activities.
For the first time in the history of the Marine Corps (CFN), the gates of CIAMPA saw the departure of a full company of female Apprentice Marines. The first General Licensing of Class I of 2024 marks the conclusion of the initial stage of the training course and offers students the opportunity to see their families again, after eight weeks of learning and daily experience in the Brazilian Navy.
Apprentice Hemilly Dias Guimarães highlights the experience of the course and the weeks of internship: “I can’t tell you where the desire to be a CFN military officer came from. It was when I was 13 or 14 that I started dreaming about it, even though I had no contact with the military. Over the years, I learned about the military exams and, in 2023, the opportunity arose to apply for the Marine Corps. Being here has been the best experience I’ve ever had in terms of maturity, discipline, responsibility and empathy. Learning takes place 24 hours a day and, even if it’s uncomfortable and extremely tiring physically and mentally, everything has a purpose. I know it will be worth it in the end. Being the first female soldier in my family and being in the first female soldier class is a responsibility I carry with great pride and dedication.”
“When my company passed through the CIAMPA gates and all the family members shouted and cheered, I felt like it had all been worth it. My parents gave me more strength so that I could complete the course and now the goal is to come back more focused and bring them the pride of having a Marine son!” said Marine Apprentice Willyam Stephan Gomes Correia.
Aimed at preparing students for the CFN’s operational tasks, the Marine Soldier Training Course is known for its high physical and mental demands. During the course, the apprentices will go through two more field exercises, as well as physical exams and tests in order to graduate in approximately two months’ time.
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***