36 women who entered the National Army to provide their military service in the San Mateo No. 8 Field Artillery Battalion; they received in the military ceremony the garments they will wear for the next 365 days; in the Infantry Battalion No. 22 Battle of Ayacucho, in Caldas; they will carry out their initial training phase.
The first phase of training, for the female squads from the departments of Risaralda and Caldas, will be under the command of Captain Katerine Valencia, an officer from the city of Pereira, who has been with the Institution for nearly 15 years.
“Military service is not just for men, we have too many roles that women can play in the Army. The message for the girls who are serving in the military today from Risaralda, is that they have to be strong girls, that they don’t give up; The military career is demanding, but we women can”, said Captain Valencia.
The Captain is the only officer who appeared for Pereira’s promotion in 2009; Due to her abilities and knowledge, she was appointed to fulfill the mission of instructing these young women who, in a few weeks, will join the other Risaralda platoons, to carry out security, environmental protection, and comprehensive action tasks, among other tasks.
For his part, Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Mauricio Salas Esteban, commander of the San Mateo Battalion, assured that: “It is very important to highlight that the military service they provide is voluntary, in addition they are all high school graduates and some bring differential abilities that will contribute significantly to the development and fulfillment of the mission as an Institution”.
Despite the fact that the National Army incorporated women 30 years ago, in Risaralda it is the first time; Therefore, these young women know that they have a great responsibility.
In turn, the soldier Laura Daniela Sánchez, expressed “I am nostalgic because I am parting with my family, but it is a sacrifice that we must face for our personal and professional development, from now on we must receive and abide by the orders of our superiors, now we are in training Then we will go to the San Mateo Battalion where we will provide all our service”.