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Military Service Identification booklet
Object/Artifact
Cuban military service booklet issued by the Ministerio de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias in Havana on August 31, 1977. A small, soft-covered booklet with a deep red cover, sized for a pocket or wallet. The front cover carries text and imagery in a centered, hierarchical layout. From top to bottom: "REPÚBLICA DE CUBA" in small capitals; the Cuban national coat of arms (shield with royal palm, key, rising sun, and flanking branches, surmounted by the Phrygian liberty cap); the principal title "CERTIFICADO MILITAR" in large letter-spaced capitals; and at the bottom, in two centered lines, "MINISTERIO DE LAS FUERZAS / ARMADAS REVOLUCIONARIAS".
2025.1.4
The Cabrera Arús family collection
José A. Cabrera Pérez collection
2025.1
7/31/1977
1970s
Havana
Cuba
Caribbean
Central America
Issued by the Ministerio de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (MINFAR), Republic of Cuba
front cover
- "REPÚBLICA DE CUBA" (top, small caps) - Cuban national coat of arms (centered, blind-stamped or printed) - "CERTIFICADO MILITAR" (center, large letter-spaced caps) - "MINISTERIO DE LAS FUERZAS / ARMADAS REVOLUCIONARIAS" (bottom, two lines)
Spanish
Paper
Very Good
José A. Cabrera Pérez
owner
Havana
Cuba
Caribbean
Central America
issuance
Ley 1129 of 1963
The life of others
The Certificado Militar is the personal military service booklet issued by the Ministerio de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (MINFAR) to Cuban citizens to record their military status. Depending on the moment in the holder's service life, it documents some combination of: registration in the military rolls; assignment and unit; period of Servicio Militar Activo (SMA / active service); rank attained; licenciamiento (discharge from active service); and status as a reservista (reservist) afterward. It was historically required for various civilian procedures (employment, university registration, travel) as proof that the holder had met or was meeting military service obligations. Compulsory military service for Cuban males was instituted by Ley 1129 of 1963 (the Servicio Militar Obligatorio, SMO), then restructured over the following decades. Under this law, all male Cuban citizens were obligated to perform military service; on completion of active duty, the soldier received a certificate documenting their service and must register with the local military registry within fifteen days.