Santo Domingo – In a formal homecoming ceremony held Tuesday at the Sans Souci Naval Station, the Dominican Republic Navy celebrated the return of its flagship training vessel, the Admiral Juan Bautista Cambiaso (BE-01), after a months-long international training deployment for naval midshipmen. The cruise, branded “Brotherhood of the Seas Summer 2026”, brought the vessel and its trainee crew across North American ports to take part in landmark international celebrations. The welcoming event was presided over by Dominican Defense Minister Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre, alongside Navy Commander Vice Admiral Juan B. Crisóstomo Martínez. Senior military leaders, former commanders of the Dominican Navy, and dozens of family members of the participating midshipmen gathered to mark the successful completion of the voyage, greeting the crew and vessel as they docked back at their home base.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Admiral Crisóstomo Martínez framed the training mission as far more than a routine exercise for future naval officers. He emphasized that the cruise demonstrated the Dominican Republic’s longstanding dedication to advancing military diplomacy across the Americas and beyond. The deployment also underscored the active support of Dominican President Luis Abinader for two key national priorities: expanding the armed forces’ professional international engagement, and elevating the quality of training for the next generation of Dominican military officers.
During their time at sea, the Admiral Juan Bautista Cambiaso served as the official floating representative of the Dominican Republic at two major U.S. port calls: New York and Boston. The vessel joined a large lineup of international ships in the Sail 250 celebration, a global maritime event organized to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States’ declaration of independence. Beyond ceremonial duties, the port visits created valuable opportunities for the Dominican midshipmen to train alongside their international peers, share maritime best practices, and deepen professional connections with U.S. and foreign naval personnel. In the process, the voyage helped raise the profile of the Dominican Republic as a cooperative maritime partner, boosted cultural and diplomatic exchange between the Caribbean nation and the United States, and strengthened longstanding naval cooperation between the two countries.