On July 18, when the military coup against the Second Spanish Republic turns 86, the eighth edition of the unusual colonies kicks off. Whether casual or not, the starting date coincides with the values of the Udaleku Civico-Militar “Grand Captain”, by Gonzalo Fernández Córdoba. This name bears the XV-XVI. In honor of the Spanish nobre and military of the centuries, who was the principal captain of the army of Castile and Aragon and part of the Spanish Legion, which currently has a barracks in Melilla, is also called this.

The children who capture them belong to a very special segment of society: “It is not only for the children of the military, everyone can come, although it is true that half are the children of military and state security forces,” they point out in the informative dossier of the summer camps.

Although the summer camp that will host hundreds of schoolchildren who are on holiday until 15 August is carried out in the Madrid village of Navacerrada (Los Almoschones), it is managed from the Catalan Vilafranca del Penedès. The company Camp Navacerrada, S.L. was founded in 2016 and behind it is the civil guard Jorge Mellado Agudo. A lover of arms and the Spanish unit, he has been running the Mellado Law Office since 1998. Directo has called them by phone and one of the managers has told them that “children are trained and go with military clothing, but they are summer colonies”. The camp has an area of 50 hectares and has hostels, wooden houses and swimming pool and the company Espakeba.

Professional military monitors

One of the characteristics of these child and youth military colonies is that monitors are members of the army and civil guard, old or currently active. As reported in the information for the promotion of the colonies, “they will be guided by the paths existing in the Armed Forces as professional soldiers, or by the different academies of officers and sub-commissioned officers”.

Jorge Mellado Agudo, director of the camp, stayed twelve years of professional civil service and retired at 30 years.

The relationship with the Ministry of Defence seems obvious, since in previous editions the groups of this colony have been taken to the military base El Goloso, to the Prince base and to the helicopter school of the Earth Army. In addition, they have received visits from heads, officers and veterans.

These children's colonies pay 600 euros and their activities focus on order and discipline: “They will serve in the military training headquarters academy,” that is, civic and military behavioural classes, rescues in situations of armed conflict, orientation exercises and survival. They will conduct military marches and teach them to hold formations, greetings, parades and tribute to the flag, among others. This intense rhythm relaxes on Sundays when Mass is celebrated for children and young people in the chapel located inside the farm of Navacerrada.

Arms without tight trousers and without twins

An education offered in these colonies is “learning in practice the military and police use of the gun, including the rifle, shooting accurately and using weapons safely”. Considering that the majority of participants are minors and not licensed, all weapons used are of the Airsoft type, i.e., replicas of weapons but those that launch plastic balls. These guns are regulated and the camp leaves it to the kids and their families to move them to the camp, but to those who do not have it at home by the company Navacerrada, S.L. offers them on a rental basis.

Permissiveness with these weapons contrasts with some limitations that apply to the participants in the clothing industry. Girls who come to the colony, although they are minorities with the boys, cannot wear tight trousers (such as leggings or meshes) and cannot wear Viking, are forced to wear a one-piece swimsuit for water activities. The uniform that will be worn during the camp will be the standard camouflage in the barracks, which the organization facilitates, being able to move home afterwards.

In the hat the children bear the symbol of the cottage cheese. This contradicts what is indicated in the summer camp information leaflet: “Our camp does not encourage or want to promote any ideology, it is totally neutral, it is a camp of children excited about the police and military world, who want to learn and take advantage of time.”