Governor Jenniffer González Colón joined Puerto Rico National Guard members and their families this Saturday at Campamento Santiago in Salinas for the 2026 'Día de los Héroes’ (Hero’s Day) celebration, the first such event held in ten years and the first with a governor’s participation. As commander in chief, González Colón thanked soldiers and airmen serving abroad as well as those responding to needs within Puerto Rico, citing recent efforts distributing water and desalinating seawater during the island’s drought emergency, alongside past deployments during Hurricane María and the southern earthquakes.
She noted about 800 soldiers and airmen currently serve missions outside Puerto Rico, while others help locally; the Guard has distributed 1,259,000 gallons of water and purified/desalinated another 626,029 gallons. The event took place one day after the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, prompting González Colón to thank Guard members for their service and sacrifice defending the nation.
She was accompanied by Puerto Rico’s Adjutant General, Brigadier General Carlos J. Rivera Román, and met with members of various National Guard components and their families.