MAJ. Gen. Charlton Sean Gaerlan, former commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), has assumed his new post as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (TDCS-AFP) on Monday.
Gaerlan, who replaced Lt. Gen. William Gonzales, officially assumed as TDCS during turnover and assumption ceremonies presided over by Gen. Andres Centino, chief of staff of the AFP.
Gonzales, currently the Inspector General, assumed the position of deputy chief of staff, following the retirement of Vice Admiral Rommel Anthony Reyes on March 15.
A member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1989, Gaerlan has more than 34 years of experience as a military officer and has occupied various positions in the areas of operations, intelligence and administration.
“I am humbled and honored to stand before you as I assume as the TDCS-AFP, a leadership post charged with a great amount of responsibility and a higher level of accountability,” Gaerlan said in his assumption speech.
“I urge everyone to continue to support the AFP modernization and transformation programs so that we can achieve our mission to become a world-class armed force and continue to value the enhancement of professionalism across the organization,” he added.
Before heading the Marines where he was picked as the military’s deputy chief of staff, Gaerlan was the commander of the AFP Education, Training, and Doctrine Command and Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, AJ2.
Military public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor said Gaerlan had also served as deputy brigade commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade; deputy commander for Marine Operations of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao; Inspector General of the Philippine Marine Corps and commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade in Western Command, Palawan.
“With the broad knowledge and expertise of MGen Gaerlan in the field of intelligence, operations, and personnel management, I am fully confident that he shall further fortify the traditions of the AFP leadership. Without doubt, his previous designations prepared him to take on greater tasks as the AFP’s third-in-command,” Centino said in installing Gaerlan to his new post.
