Costa Rica p. 5

 

The province of Guanacaste has its capital at Liberia and contains both the GUANACASTE Rifle Company and the BINICIO Battalion with its HQ and 1^st Company forming the Comando Norte, at La Cruz and its 2^nd Company at Peñas Blancas. This province also contains the Civil Guard recruit training centre and training ground at Murciélago.

 

The province of Heredia has its capital at the town of the same name and houses the HEREDIA Rifle Company.

 

The province of Limón has its capital at Limón and in addition to the LIMON Rifle Company houses frontier security companies at Sixaloa and Guapiles, the latter also being the HQ of the ATLANTICO Battalion.

 Costa Rica p. 6

 

Elements of the Costa Rican CIVIL GUARD have contributed to the peacekeeping operations of both the United Nations and the Organization of American States.

 

Training

 

Recruitment is entirely voluntary. All major training establishments are located at San José but there is a basic training school and training ground at Murciélago in Guanecaste province. All personnel are trained at the NATIONAL POLICE SCHOOL, founded in 1963 and a high proportion of the Guard’s personnel have undergone additional training in the United States or in the Panama Canal Zone (before the US withdrawal) and more recently in Chile, Israel and Taiwan. The Civil Guard Volunteer Reserve duplicates the strength of the active force, which is approximately 5,000 including its coast guard and air elements. Equipment is available for a total force of 10,000.