President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Wednesday afternoon in Malacañang, replacing General Andres Centino.
Marcos would appoint Centino as the Presidential Adviser to the West Philippine Sea.
Brawner is currently serving as the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, a position he assumed on December 10, 2021.
Brawner graduated as the second-ranking cadet in the Philippine Military Academy’s “Makatao” Class of 1989 and has since served in various capacities in the military for 34 years.
His previous designations in the military include 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 Officer 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.
Brawner also served as the Commandant of the Cadets at the Philippine Military Academy, where he played a crucial role in eradicating hazing and maltreatment in the Cadet Corps.
Later on, he served as the first Deputy Chief of Staff for Financial Management, J10, in the 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 led to the decisive neutralization of Jorge Madlos or “Ka Oris,” the Commander of the National Operations Command of the New People’s Army.
Brawner demonstrated exceptional excellence in his military education, ranking at the top of his classes in the Special Forces Operations Course, Intelligence Officer Course, and the AFP Comptrollership Course.
Brawner holds three Master’s Degrees: Master’s in Information Management from Ateneo de Manila University, Master’s in Business Administration from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand and the European School of Management in Oxford, United Kingdom, and a Master’s in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College (USAWC).
Among the numerous awards and recognitions he has received are 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 to the neutralization of Abu Dar, the last of the original leaders of the Maute-ISIS faction.
In March of this year, Lt. Gen. Brawner was inducted into the US Army War College (UASWC) International Fellows Hall of Fame in recognition of his service in the highest command position in the Philippine Army. During the same visit, he was conferred the Legion of Merit – Degree of Commander for his exceptionally meritorious service as the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, particularly in ensuring that the Philippine Army remains trained, ready, and prepared for all missions.
