On May 15, 2026, Belize marked a key milestone for its national maritime security when 49 newly trained Belizean men and women formally graduated from the Belize Coast Guard’s Recruit Intake #12, transitioning from civilian trainees to active service members tasked with protecting the nation’s territorial waters.
The path to this graduation ceremony, held at the Belize Coast Guard headquarters, was anything but easy. Over 13 consecutive weeks, recruits pushed through grueling daily routines, starting before dawn each day, enduring relentless tactical and physical drills, and adhering to strict military discipline that left no room for cutting corners. Every physical hurdle, mental challenge, and long day of preparation was designed to forge civilians into capable, resilient coast guardsmen ready for frontline service.
Speaking at the ceremony, Belize Coast Guard Commandant Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis opened with a message of pride for the incoming class. Three months prior, he noted, these young people arrived at the training institution as ordinary civilians who had made the deliberate, consequential choice to serve their nation. They brought with them raw potential, hope for the future, and a willingness to put themselves through rigorous testing to earn their place. “Today they leave as Coast Guard men and women of Belize,” Soberanis said. “That transformation does not happen by accident, it is earned and you earned it.”
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, echoed that pride, framing the graduation as a milestone not just for the new service members, but for the entire Belizean Coast Guard and the nation as a whole. She extended personal congratulations to each graduate, noting they had endured physical hardship, mental strain, strict discipline, and personal sacrifice to earn the privilege of graduating and moving on to active duty.
Commandant Soberanis also took a moment to acknowledge the critical role that loved ones played in the recruits’ success, extending gratitude to the family members and friends who supported the 49 graduates through the 13 weeks of intensive, isolated training.
For the new coast guardsmen, the ceremony marks the end of one journey and the beginning of another. Having emerged from training sharper, physically stronger, and disciplined, they are now prepared to take on their core responsibility: guarding Belize’s maritime borders and upholding the nation’s commitment to protecting its coastal communities and territorial integrity. This report is a transcript of an evening television broadcast, with any Kriol language statements transcribed using a standardized spelling system.