300 men and women will contribute to strengthening security in the coffee region during the presidential elections

Through two military ceremonies, held in the city of Pereira and in the municipality of Montenegro, Quindío, soldiers, men and women from the units of the Eighth Brigade, took their oath of allegiance to the flag. They made this commitment before their superiors and families, honorably assuming their duty to serve their country in the Coffee Region.

These solemn ceremonies were presided over by Colonel Julián Andrés Arango Betancourt, commander of the Eighth Brigade, and Colonel Yanny Alexander Melo Restrepo, second-in-command and chief of staff of the Eighth Brigade, who emphasized the three fundamental pillars that a soldier of the National Army must embody: God, family, and the assigned mission. He also highlighted the courage of these young men who embarked on a path they had never imagined.

The 300 new soldiers, who spent three months at the 8th Instruction, Training, and Retraining Battalion, training and preparing to assume the responsibility of defending the nation's sovereignty from the Coffee Region, are now arriving at their assigned military bases and areas of operation to fulfill the most important mission of 2026: protecting democracy during the presidential elections.

Starting May 1st, young Colombians, between 18 and 24 years of age, will also be able to join the National Army by providing their military service for the second contingent of 2026.