PRESIDENT AQUINO INSTALLS THE 41ST ARMED FORCES CHIEF OF STAFF
CAMP EMILIO F. AGUINALDO, Quezon City - His Excellency Benigno Simeon C.
Aquino III, President of the Republic of the Philippines attended the
installation of the 41st Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (CSAFP) as Presiding Officer 10 a.m. here Friday in a
change-of-command ceremony at the post parade grounds.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo A. David Jr. succeeded Gen. Delfin N. Bangit, who
retired on June 22 after more than 36 years of military service. LtGen
Nestor Z Ochoa, who assumed as the Acting Chief of Staff after the
retirement of Bangit and the military host for the activity, will hand
over the leadership of the AFP to the incoming CSAFP.
David was born on 1955 in the town of San Fernando , Pampanga.
David entered the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City , and
graduated in March 1, 1977.
David spent most of his professional military career in various units of
the AFP in the different parts of the country, from the lowest level of
command until he reached his current designation as the commander of the
Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM).
David saw action as a combat officer in Mindanao from 1977-1983. David,
in 1996 to 1998, commanded the 50th Infantry Battalion of the 5th
Infantry Division, Philippine Army. David took the reins of the 402nd
Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army from March 2005 to December 2006,
followed by the AFP Command Center until august 2007, the Army Support
Command until April 2008, then the 4th Infantry division, Philippine
army up to June 2009, and the NOLCOM.
David finished at the top of his class in the Ammunition Gen. Supply
Course and the Special Forces Operation Course, second in class in his
Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, third in class in his
Comptrollership Officer Basic Course, and fourth in a class of 58 and an
honor graduate in the Command and General Staff Course. He also took
several courses in foreign military institutions, notable of which
include the Field Artillery Advance Course in the U.S. Army Field
Artillery School, the Overseas Joint Warfare Course in the Australian
Joint Warfare Center, the International Defense Management Course and
Master of Arts in Security Studies in the Naval Post Graduate School,
Monterrey, California, and the Senior Executive Seminar in the Marshall
Center, Germany. Aside from these military trainings, he also completed
the basic management course from the Asian Institute of Management and
Masters in Business Administration from Xavier University in Cagayan de
Oro City.
David strongly believes in the relentless pursuit of our national
security objectives, through a consultative approach with other
stakeholders and under a broad coalition with other sectors of the
government and private entities. As division commander of the 4th
Infantry Division, Philippine Army and as co-convener in the
establishment of the Caraga (an administrative region of the
Philippines, on the north-eastern portion of the island of Mindanao)
council for peace and development (CCPD), David brought together
stakeholders in the Caraga region to focus their individual efforts into
collectively addressing various issues in the area. David also
encouraged the creation and strengthened the existing Church-Military
Advisory Councils (CMAG) and the Ugnayan Centers , which has similar
aims as that of CCPD, in north and central Luzon when he took over the
reins of NOLCOM.
David espouses that as the AFP pushes to achieve our mission, the
organization must carry out tasks with utmost respect to human rights.
David puts the welfare of the soldiers on top of his priority list. He
believes that looking after the needs of the men and women of his
command and ensuring that they are receiving whatever is due to them are
but a simple token of the organization's appreciation for their
sacrifices for country and people.
Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Cadets rendered the arrival honors to
the incoming CSAFP with the Acting Vice Chief of Staff MGen. Hilario A
Atendido as Military Host while arrival honors to the Secretary of
National Defense, Honorable Voltaire T Gazmin was hosted by the Acting
CSAFP. Arrival honors for the President was hosted by the acting CSAFP
while departure honors for the President was hosted by the new CSAFP.
MGen Victor A Felix, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military
Operations, J7 acted as the troop commander to the Division size of
personnel for the ceremony. The 12 battalions of parading elements was
comprised of cadets from the PMA and the Officer Candidate School;
soldiers from the General Headquarters, Army, Air Force, 7th Infantry
Division, Special Forces, Scout Rangers, Marine Corps, Special
Operations Wing, Special Warfare Group, Explosive Ordnance Division and
the National Capital Region Command.
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