Defense decorates three officers who placed first in their military schools

The Ministry of National Defense awarded the “Captain General Gerardo Barrios” Star Decoration to three officers who achieved first place in the different schools of the Secretariat of National Defense. The recognition was formalized through Agreement No. 120, signed on July 31, 2026, by Minister René Francis Merino Monroy and published in the Official Gazette Volume No. 452, Number 164, on Friday, September 4, 2026, on page 11.

The regulatory framework of the recognition

The agreement was issued by the Executive Branch in the field of National Defense, based on special provisions 1a.-, a), 2a.-, 3a.-, 4a.-, a), 5a.-, a), 7.- and 12.- of Ministerial Agreement No. 0116, dated September 12, 2011. The instrument closes with the formula “COMMUNICATE” and the signature of Admiral René Francis Merino Monroy, Minister of National Defense.

The distinction bears the name of the Salvadoran military hero and is reserved for personnel who achieve first place in merit within their graduating class; therefore, its simultaneous awarding to three officers from three different schools concentrates the recognition in a single official day.

The three decorated officers

Agreement No. 120 details the beneficiaries and the school of origin for each:

• LT. SURGEON Roberto Carlos Morales Nájera, from the School of Medicine.
• 2LT. CAV. Kyoshi Becerra Tsutsumi, from the Heroic Military College.
• 2LT. F.A.P.A. Ofir Isaac Contreras Hernández, from the Military Aviation School.

All three were distinguished “in recognition for having obtained first place in the different Schools of the Secretariat of National Defense,” according to the published text.

Other personnel movements on the same day

The same section of the Official Gazette includes two additional agreements from the Defense sector, both dated August 25, 2026:

• Agreement No. 127 incorporates, as of September 1, 2026, LTCOL. PA Evelyn Xiomara Salas de Castillo into the Staff Diploma (DEM) specialty.
• Agreement No. 128 does the same for MAJ. INF. José Armando Menjívar Delgado.

Both incorporations are based on Act No. 1092, dated December 3, 2024, of the Council of Ordinary Studies of the “Dr. Manuel Enrique Araujo” Command and Staff School, and on Art. 26 of the Military Career Law, Art. 92 of its Regulations, and Arts. 16, 17 literal a), 18, 72, 73, 120, and 124 of the Regulations of the Armed Forces Educational System.

Impact

Publication in the Official Gazette provides public testimony to a high-profile decision within the Armed Forces: it rewards the academic performance of officers in training and, at the same time, records the training promotions of middle management. For readers, the agreement allows for the verification of names, schools, and legal grounds for the military distinctions which, by their nature, rarely transcend the military sphere.

Source: Official Gazette, Volume No. 452, Number 164, September 4, 2026, Section I (Executive Branch), page 11 (official reference: Agreement No. 120).