TACLOBAN CITY – To help the 8th Infantry Division fast-track its campaign to end the local communist armed conflict in the three provinces of Samar, the 802nd Infantry Peerless Brigade transferred from Camp Downes, Ormoc City to Barangay Campesao, Borongan City, Eastern Samar.
The brigade is the latest addition to troops on Samar Island following the transfer of around 1,000 soldiers from the 74th Infantry Battalion (IB) and 42nd IB last February.
Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, 802nd Brigade commander, said their new area of operations covers the southern part of Samar Island from Hinabangan, Samar to Taft, Eastern Samar.
Three battalions, the 46th, 63rd, and 78th, will be under the brigade's supervision.
On the other hand, Leyte and Biliran Island will now be under the Joint Task Group Tandaya headed by Brig. Gen. Perfecto Peñaredondo.
He said that Joint Task Group Tandaya will supervise the Army forces in Leyte and Biliran, the 14th IB, 93rd IB, and 546th Engineer Battalion.
Vestuir thanked friends, partners, and stakeholders of the 802nd Brigade in Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran for supporting their peace and development efforts.
"I am looking forward to working with our new stakeholders in Samar and Eastern Samar to contribute to the overall efforts in ending the more than five decades of local communist armed conflict," he said.