Army deploys artillery group to Central Mindanao
THE Army will be sending to Central Mindanao its artillery battalion that has been equipped with howitzers from Israel under the military’s modernization program.
Army Commanding General and Department of National Defense Officer in Charge Jose Faustino Jr. will lead the send off ceremony today (Wednesday, September 21, 2022) for the 10th Field “Rolling Thunder” Battalion of the Artillery Regiment.
Army spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the battalion serves as the mother unit of the three batteries of new Autonomous Truck Mounted Howitzer System (ATMOS) 155 self-propelled howitzers.
The ATMOS were delivered by Elbit Systems of Israel and were procured under the Army’s capability upgrade program, which has also seen the arrival of other armaments and weapons systems for the Army.
Brawner is currently focused in beefing up the firepower of the Army and in strengthening its units while, at the same time, uplifting the morale and welfare of its personnel.
Brawner has eyed to equip the Army with missile defense systems.
New OIMA chief
MEANWHILE, the Army has installed its new “chief diplomat” or the new commander of its Office of the International Military Affairs in a hybrid change of chief of office ceremony on Monday.
Col. Von Albert Sumergido assumed as the new OIMA chief, succeeding Col. Ferdinand Rey Ga who now serves as commander of the National Capital Region Regional Community Defense Group of the Reserve Command, Army.
Sumergido was the Secretary of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines before his assumption as the third OIMA chief.
He had also served as secretary of the Army General Staff from November 2020 to October 2021 and as commanding officer of the 6th Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Armor Division for nearly two years.
Sumergido is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1995.
On the other hand, Ga is a member of PMA Class of 1993 and has served as the Army’s Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations.