Proud Cordilleran LtGen. Brawner is the new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

Photo Courtesy || AFP

Cordilleran - Son of Ifugao LtGen Romeo Brawner Jr., a Marawi siege veteran has been named as the new Chief of the Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as announced by the Presidential Communication Office on Wednesday.

LtGen Brawner will replace the outgoing Chief Maj.  Gen. Andes Centeno who will be appointed as the Presidential Adviser of the West Philippine Sea.

MGen. Brawner, who traces his roots to Kiangan, Ifugao is the son of the late and former Baguio and La Trinidad Regional Trial Court Judge and Commission on Election Commissioner, Justice Romeo Brawner Sr.

LtGen Brawner is currently serving as Commanding General of the Philippine Army, which he assumed on December 10, 2021. He graduated number two (2) in the Philippine Military Academy “Makatao” Class of 1989 and has since served the military in various capacities for 34 years now.

Among his previous designations in the military were: Company Commander of the 6th Special Forces Company; Battalion Commander of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion; Operations Officer of the Special Forces Regiment (Airborne); Chief of Staff of the 6th Infantry “Kampilan” Division; Chief, Public Affairs of the Philippine Army; Spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; Commander of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment; and, Brigade Commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade during the aftermath of the Marawi Siege in 2017.

LtGen Brawner also previously served as the Commandant of the Cadets in the Philippine Military Academy, where he played an important role in the total eradication of hazing and maltreatment in the Cadet Corps. Later on, he served as the first Deputy Chief of Staff for Financial Management, J10, Armed Forces of the Philippines.

He also served as the Commander of the 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division, where he supervised the unit’s combat operations that resulted to the decisive neutralization of Jorge Madlos or “Ka Oris,” the Commander of the National Operations Command of the New People’s Army.

He exemplified the highest levels of excellence in his military schoolings, topping his classes in the Special Forces Operations Course, Intelligence Officer Course, and the AFP Comptrollership Course.

LtGen Brawner has acquired three (3) Master’s Degrees: Master’s in Information Management from the Ateneo de Manila University; Master’s in Business Administration from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand and from the European School of Management, Oxford, United Kingdom; and, Master’s in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College (USAWC).

Among the numerous awards and recognitions he received were: The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS) in 2013 by the Metrobank Foundation and Rotary Club of Makati, and the Lapu-Lapu Award by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for his valuable contributions in the neutralization of Abu Dar, the last of the original leaders of the Maute-ISIS faction.

In March this year, LtGen Brawner was inducted into the US Army War College (UASWC) International Fellows Hall of Fame in recognition of his service at the highest command position in the Philippine Army. In that same visit, he was conferred the Legion of Merit – Degree of Commander in recognition of his exceptionally meritorious service as the Commanding General, Philippine Army, particularly in ensuring that the Philippine Army remains trained, ready, and postured for all missions.

source || PCO

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Cordilleran from Ifugao RAdm Toribio Adaci Jr. is the new Philippine Navy Chief

Photo Courtesy || Hans Bryan Lim PN / NPAO

Cordillera - Rear Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr., the Commander of Naval Forces Western Mindanao, took the helm as the Philippine Navy (PN) Flag Officer In Command following the Change of Command Ceremony on November 24 at the PN headquarters here.

The AFP Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, presided over the ceremony as Rear Admiral Adaci succeeded PN Vice Commander, Rear Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia, who had served as the acting Navy Chief since September 9.

Lieutenant General Bacarro lauded the 40th FOIC for reaching this significant milestone in his military career and expressed confidence that Rear Admiral Adaci’s “stellar record and distinguished experience in naval operations, education and training, and personnel management and administration will prove effective and beneficial for the Philippine Navy and entire AFP as well”.

The AFP Chief likewise thanked Rear Admiral Valencia “for holding the Philippine Navy’s fort with competence, diligence, and foresight even for very brief period” which ensured the continuity of Navy’s operations.

The newly-designated Navy chief is the first to serve for a fixed term of three years as set by Republic Act No. 11709, a law prescribing fixed tour of duty for military officials who are holding key positions.

In his remarks, Rear Admiral Adaci acknowledged his predecessors “who have ushered the way and enabled us to be where we are today” and vowed to continue the PN’s “trajectory as a modernizing naval defense force” with “consistency, connectivity, and, most importantly – efficiency.”

Among his priority thrusts include the enhancement and sustainment of personnel trainings, rationalization of the organization, modernization program, real estate and bases management, international defense and security engagements, self-reliant defense posture, and advancement of the Navy’s interests.

Rear Admiral Adaci, who hails from the Province of Ifugao, is a member of Philippine Military Academy “Makatao'' Class of 1989. Some of the key positions he held prior assumption of the top Navy post includes the Commander of the Naval Installation Command, and the Commander of the Fleet-Marine Ready Force (FMRF), the Navy’s national maneuver force. He is also a lawyer, having finished his Law Degree in 2000 and passing the Bar Examinations in the same year.

source || Armed Forces of the Philippines

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Philippines to acquire its first BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile from India

Photo Courtesy || Mike1979 Russia/Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0

Philippines - The Philippine government is finalizing a deal with the Indian government for the acquisition of BrahMos shore-based anti-ship cruise missile system. 

The deals comes after the country's budget department released initial funds worth nearly P5 billion for the acquisition of anti-ship missile system and other military equipment.

The Philippine military will be the first foreign nation to buy India's BrahMos to bolster its defense capability. 

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile features network-centric architecture, multiple trajectories, and way-point capability that allow the weapon to engage land and naval targets beyond the horizon, according to the defensepost website.

It is equipped with a solid-propellant booster that provides the system with initial acceleration and a liquid-fueled ramjet system that enables a speed of Mach 3.

Additionally, the weapon system’s air-breathing ramjet propulsion technology provides the BrahMos with a longer range than missiles powered by rocket propulsion.

The ship and land-based BrahMos missiles carry a semi-armor-piercing warhead weighing 200 kilograms (440 pounds), while the aerial variant can carry a 300-kilogram (661-pound) warhead. They can intercept surface targets at a minimum altitude of 10 meters (32 feet).

The weapon can launch from ships, mobile launchers, submarines, and even military aircraft. It can also be used for coastal defense and ground attack.

source || inquirer.global & thedefensepost.com

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The AFP is hiring military nurse with gross salary of P51,679.00 and allowances

Cordillera - The Armed Forces of the Philippines is accepting applicants interested to be a military nurse.

In a post from the Civil Relations Service of the AFP on Facebook, the AFP is inviting applicants to join the nurse corps with a competitive gross salary and a lot of benefits. 

READ ALSO: Cordilleran AFP Chief Nurse Venus Bajarin promoted to the rank of Brigadier General

Qualifications are as follows:

- Natural Born Filipino Citizen

- Single, 21 - 25 years old

- Minimum 5 feet height

- With at least 1 year hospital experience in DOH level II accredited hospitals

- Must pass the AFP Aptitude Test (AFPSAT)

- Must pass the Physical Medical Examination and Physical Fitness Test

Benefits and Privileges:

- Chance to be assigned in the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force

- Progressive Career Development

- Opportunity of local and foreign  schooling

- Health care and housing benefits

- Pension and retirement benefits

- Competitive pay and allowances: 2LT Php51,679.00 (Gross Pay)

For more information, you may contact:

Office of the Chief Nurse, AFP

Bulwagang Heneral Valdez

Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City

Tel. No.: +63 906 153 7811 or (02) 911 7902

source:  Civil Relations Service AFP

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