ARMY chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido has been awarded the US Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander) Medal for playing a key role in enhancing the defense relations of the two countries, the Philippine Army said yesterday.
Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala said Galido received the prestigious award during a ceremony in Washington last Monday “for his vital role in enhancing Philippines-US defense ties.”
“The said award is one of the highest honors conferred by the US Department of the Army to American servicemen, and political and military leaders of allied nations,” said Dema-ala.
He said the medal highlights Galido’s “exemplary efforts to enhance PH-US defense ties and advance military objectives amid the fast-changing Indo-Pacific security landscape.”
Galido joined former President and former Armed Forces chief Fidel Ramos and former Armed Forces chief Alfredo Santos as recipients of the medal. Ramos also served as former defense secretary.
Galido, a member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1990, assumed command as Army chief in August last year. He previously served as commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command and commander of the 6th Infantry Division.
“(Galido) spearheaded the Army modernization efforts to select, procure and integrate several critical, technologically advanced capabilities and ensured his soldiers maintained the edge required to respond to threats, deter adversaries and interoperate with multi-nation forces to defeat any foe,” the Legion of Merit citation read.
Dema-ala said Galido has emphasized the importance of large-scale training exercises, including the annual Balikatan and Salaknib exercises between US and Filipino troops.
Dema-ala said such high-impact exercises are “part of the Army’s strategic shift to territorial defense operations from internal security.”
While in the US, Galido visited the US Army Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM) in Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia and the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC)in Fort Johnson, Louisiana “as part of bolstering the organization’s sustainment and operational readiness.”
Dema-ala said Galido’s visit to CASCOM “provided a comprehensive overview of the US Army logistics and sustainment support.”
“His visit underscored PA’s (Philippine Army’s) commitment to enhancing the organization’s logistical capabilities and streamlining its support functions,” said Dema-ala,
During his visit to the JRTC, Galido discussed with US Army officials the “capability development of PA’s special operations units and the development of essential capabilities related to territorial defense.”
Dema-ala said these visits “highlights the sustained cooperation between the two ground forces as PA pursues its long-term vision of becoming a world-class, multi-mission ready, and cross-domain capable Army.”