Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces

Minister: Gral. de Ejército: Raúl Castro Ruz

Address: Ave. Independencia y 20 de Mayo, Plaza de la Revolución, La Habana

It is the organism in charge of directing, to execute and to control the application of the politics of the State and of the Government as for the preparation of the country for the defense; the defense of the sovereignty of the State mainly the national, included the territorial sea and the air space over which it extends; the preparation and realization of the armed fight; and the recruiting, acquisition, production and use of the material of war that satisfies the necessities of the defense.

It fulfills those obligations the participation of the other organisms and state organisms, the economic entities, social institutions and the citizens.

Army

The Army is the territorial grouping of forces and means of general troops of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, to which corresponds the main paper in the realization of the armed fight and responds, from time of peace, for the preparation for the defense of the assigned territory. The Military Council of the Army plays an important part in the Territorial Defensive System. Three armies exist: Oriental, Central and Western, deployed, as their name it indicates, in the east, center and occident of the island. The territory of the Army is divided in Military Regions and these in turn in Military Sectors. The Juvenile Army of the Work is also in functions.

The Army has some combat units and insurance, entities and directly subordinate institutions. The rest of these under the control of the Headquarters of Military Regions. In the composition of the Army, the terrestrial units are structured in brigades, regiments and infantry battalions, tanks, artillery and antiaircraft defense, of the regular troops and the Militias of Territorial Troops. They are integrated in their composition by airborne and marine units. It is part of the Oriental Army the Brigade of the Frontier, which has the mission of defending the border perimeter with the Naval Base of Guantánamo that maintains, illegally in Cuba, the government of the United States.

Military Service

The military service constitutes one of the main preparations that allow the Cuban citizens of both sexes to complete the honorable duty of serving with to the homeland with the weapons.

The Cuban population's size and the economic resources of the country, together to the real possibility of having to face a military aggression of the only world superpower, have demanded to look for solutions that put in function the national defense of all the existent potentialities. The military service is one of the fundamental roads to reach that important task and fulfill it.
It has been very interesting the experience reached with the work of the recruitment commissions, in charge of deciding about the destination from each youth called to enlist.

They are part of them, besides the representatives of the "FAR", those of the government and the political organizations and of masses of the people. To the interview with the future soldier is also invited his near relatives. The farewell meetings to those that go to accomplish with the military duty, and of the greeting to the graduated soldiers, are another important ways of recognition from the community to this invaluable service.

The detachment before the fixed term is a stimulus form to the exemplary combatants.

Other stimulus forms also exist to those that accomplish with the military duty exemplarily, very appreciated by the youths. It highlights the right to a second opportunity to enter the university teaching of the youths that didn't reach positions for the normal registration process when concluding the secondary education. The applicants to this option receive an additional preparation financed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces, and later on a stipend until the culmination of their studies.