Tomorrow smiles and hugs at the doors of the La General compound. The General Military Academy of Zaragoza (AGM), on the Carretera de Huesca km. 505, is Leonor’s new home for the next academic year, which is starting now. The princess, along with her 611 classmates and classmates, entered the I Cadet Battalion this Thursday, August 17. 140 women and 472 men, accompanied by their families, have waited their turn at the access gate. She was very smiling and, as she herself has said, “with a lot of desire” and “a little nervous”.
For the registration process, three arrival orders had been established. The last one was marked between 10:00 and 12:00 for the students of the General Corps of the Army, which was the turn of the Princess. The documents provided by the new students of the Academy are: the DNI, the vaccination certificates, including the Covid certificate; and the number of affiliation to the Social Security; and driver’s license (for those who have it).
Seven royal entourage cars have arrived at the venue at 12:00 in the morning. Leonor was in the car with the blue dash, the color of the Principality of Asturias; and her parents, Felipe VI and Letizia, in the car with the red script of the Crown. The head of state was in uniform as a symbol of this institutional act.
This first day at La General, the uniform is delivered to the tailor shop. The AGM had recommended to the new and new to avoid arriving “in tracksuits, shorts and beach shoes.” And they have suggested “comfortable shoes” as “sports”. And so we have seen the heiress, in basic sneakers.
Regarding the much-discussed treatment of favor towards the heiress, there is a circumstance that marks everything. A course concentrated in one year in Zaragoza has been designed for Leonor and, in addition, she will go through the three Academies in three years when for the rest of the students it would be five. So she is not just another student. She is the future head of state. This does not mean that she has favored treatment.
The day of debutants in La General
All the new students are introduced to their Battalion Chief Lieutenant Colonel, their Company Chief Commander and their Section Chief Captain. Also, to the Cadet Ensigns. The instruction period begins for the heiress in the Module for Reception, Orientation and Adaptation to military life, which is known by the name of MAOA. It will be two weeks.
The new ones will be installed in cabins for twelve people. Upon her arrival, Leonor will go through the hairdresser’s and receive basic military equipment. The ladies-cadets must wear their hair collected in a bow, a ponytail or with a braid. The maximum length allowed is up to the armpits. Most likely, the princess will sport her shorter hair. As for makeup, it does not differ much from the style of the heiress: natural tones in the makeup base in the shadow of the eyelids and lips. Transparent manicure. Goodbye to the red nail polish that we saw in Palma.
The cadet gentlemen and ladies, according to the welcome document, will be guided by “the ideals of decorum and correctness in their clothing, accessories and appearance, even when dressed in civilian clothes.” As for tattoos, those that “insult or incite discrimination of a sexual, racial, ethnic or religious nature; that may attempt against discipline, military virtues or the image of the Armed Forces” will not be allowed. Neither, “obscene reasons or expressions contrary to constitutional values.”
The reveille at the Academy is at 6:30 in the morning. In this phase of training as combatants, marches, topographic tours, assault rifle shooting exercises, live fire exercises with weapons and exercises on the combat arena are carried out. This instruction is completed during day or night hours regardless of weather conditions (cold, rain…). The students eat around 2:30 p.m. and the silence is set at 11:00 p.m.
Fundamental in this stage, the physical preparation of the students. “They are taught to teach competently and through exemplarity,” the Academy instructs. The Department of Physical Training encourages the creation of sports habits and they are instructed in military sports, such as shooting patrols, military pentathlon, horse riding and military personal defense. The instruction and training phase will take place until September 10. The first semester will start on September 11.
The new students will create “some links” between them that will accompany them “forever”. In their companions, they will find “the strength to carry on despite the difficulties”. These are the words of welcome from the director of the Defense University Center, Francisco José Gómez Ramos. He also underlines “companionship” as one of the “fundamental values at the AGM”. He also stresses that this period will be “hard and demanding.” And the mission, “study and preparation.”