Santos assumes post as head of Army Aviation Regiment

May 29, 2020

Col. Andre Santos is the new commander of the Army Aviation Regiment in a change of command ceremony in Nueva Ecija on Thursday.

Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, Philippine Army spokesman, said the ceremony at the regiment's headquarters in Fort Ramon Magsaysay, Palayan, Nueva Ecija was led by Army Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay.

"Let us sustain the momentum in capacitating the service towards mission effectiveness. Let us work towards operational and organizational excellence, closely working with our partners and stakeholders, and uplifting the well-being of our personnel," Gapay said in his speech.

Zagala said during the live streamed ceremony, Santos replaced Col. Jesus Rico Atencio who led the regiment since its activation on October 2, 2019.

"Santos, a member of PMA Class 1992, previously served as Director of Land Warfare Center, Training and Doctrine Command; and as commander of the Army Aviation Battalion, the precursor unit to the Aviation Regiment," he said.

"He (Santos) also served as Chief of the Governance and Strategy Management Office of the Armor Division," he added.

Zagala said "the regiment has been instrumental in conducting aerial reconnaissance in the 1st Infantry "Tabak" Division, 4th Infantry "Diamond" Division, 7th Infantry "Kaugnay" Division, Central Command, and Southern Luzon Command; and in the conduct of maritime patrols over Northern Luzon Command; implementation of aviation modernization; and contribution to the COVID-19 efforts." Robina Asido/DMS