Military of Aruba Defense on Aruba is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . The Netherlands Military forces that protect Aruba include the Royal Netherlands Navy , the Netherlands Marine Corps and the Netherlands Coastguard . There is also a small indigenous " Arubaanse Militie " ( ARUMIL ) of about platoon strength . All forces are stationed at Marines Barracks Savaneta . Early history . Up to 1929 , there were hardly any military forces present on the Dutch Antilles including Aruba . On the 28th of June 1929 the Venezuelan rebel leader Rafael Simon Urbina attacked Curaçao and took several hostages amongst whom was the governor L . A . Fruytier and the garrisoncommander Borren . They were all taken to Venezuela where Urbina had hoped to overthrow the Government . His attempt failed and Urbina was taken prisoner . All hostages were returned to Curaçao . Three Dutch soldiers were killed in action during this attack . After Urbina ' s attack , the Dutch government decided to station one naval ship ( " stationsschip " ) in the Antilles permanently . It also decided to raise a volunteer defence corps on both Curaçao and Aruba ( vrijwilligerskorps Curaçao ( VKC ) and Vrijwilligerskorps Aruba ( VKA ) ) . After World War II , the VKA and VKC were redesignated Antiliaanse Militie ( ANTMIL ) which still exists on Curaçao . When Aruba obtained its independence within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986 , the ANTMIL on Aruba was redesignated Arubaanse militie or ARUMIL . World War II . For the Kingdom of the Netherlands , World War II started with the invasion of Holland by Germany on May 10 , 1940 . Because of the Lago oil refinery at San Nicolas , Aruba was deemed strategically important to the allied war effort and that same night 180 French marines arrived on Aruba to assist the local military . On July 6 they were replaced by 120 British soldiers who in turn were replaced by the 4th Battalion Queens Own Cameron Highlanders in September . In December an artillery unit from the Dutch East Indies army ( KNIL ) was also sent to Aruba to improve the defences . Also in December military service became compulsory and the VKA grew in size . All soldiers were billeted near the oil refinery at Savaneta , the present location of the marines barracks . Early 1942 , the British troops were replaced by over a thousand American soldiers . The Dutch coastal batteries on Aruba and Curacao engaged U - boats at least three times during World War II , during the Attack on Aruba in February 1942 and again during the Bombardment of Curacao . Later a Dutch battery on Curacao engaged another U - boat when it attacked an oil tanker sailing off the island . None of the batteries hit their targets . Present situation . The ARUMIL soldiers are volunteers and are led by their own NCOs and officers . The ARUMIL are trained by Royal Netherlands Marines . When basic training is completed every soldier in the ARUMIL becomes an Aruban Marine . Basic training and selection takes place on Aruba , most further training takes place in either the Netherlands or Curaçao . ARUMIL officers have to complete the regular Netherlands Marine Corps Officers training course ( Praktische opleiding tot officier der mariniers , POTOM ) . The ARUMIL platoon works closely with the Dutch Marines company stationed at Aruba . An increase of instability in South America , specifically Venezuela , made the Netherlands heighten the security level and increase monitoring of the Dutch island in cooperation with the United States .