The President has appointed Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. as the nation’s new chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). During the AFP change of command and retirement ceremony held in honor of Gen. Andres Centino at Camp Aguinaldo on July 21, 2023, the President stated that with Brawner at the helm of the AFP, the country would be “safer and more secure.”
“I have faith that under the supervision of Gen. Brawner, the Armed Forces will continue to ensure the security of Filipinos and the national sovereignty of our country amidst the challenges ahead,” he said. “I know that your supervision will give rise to a safer and more secure nation, where more rebels return to the fold of the law and decide to be productive citizens.”
In response, Brawner assured the President — and the nation — of his “steadfast loyalty, utmost professionalism, and absolute commitment to the Constitution and to the duly-constituted authorities.”
Brawner graduated from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Makatao” Class of 1989 where he finished top 2 in his class. Prior to becoming the AFP chief, he served as the commanding general of the Philippine Army.
Throughout his military career spanning over three decades, he held various key positions, such as 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 of public affairs of the Philippine Army, and spokesperson of the AFP.
He also served as the commander of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, brigade commander of 103rd Infantry Brigade during the aftermath of the Marawi siege in 2017, commandant of Cadet Corps in the PMA, deputy chief of staff for Financial Management of AFP, commander of the 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division, among others.
Brawner’s educational accomplishments are stellar as well, having acquired three master’s degrees: Master’s in Information Management from Ateneo de Manila; an MBA from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand and from the European School of Management, Oxford, UK; and Master’s in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College (USAWC).
He is also a recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS) in 2013 by the Metrobank Foundation and Rotary Club of Makati, and the Lapu-Lapu Award from President Duterte. In March this year, Brawner was inducted into the USAWC International Fellows Hall of Fame in recognition of his service at the highest command position in the Philippine Army.
Without wasting any time, Brawner immediately went to work, highlighting his five focus areas, dubbed as “UNITY,” an acronym for unification, normalization, internal security operations, territorial defense, and youth.
The new chief also emphasized that the AFP will endeavor to “modernize its personnel, equipment, facilities, processes, and systems so as to enable it to be a lethal and competent fighting force, capable of defending our territory from external aggression.” To achieve this, he will push for the continuation of the military's modernization program, which is now in its third and final phase.
As Gen. Brawner formally assumes the position as our country's new AFP chief of staff, the Manila Bulletin wishes him well, as his leadership will not only impact the professional careers of the 150,000-strong military members but, more importantly, the lives, livelihoods, and future of the 115 million plus Filipinos.