By Priam Nepomuceno/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — Captain Richard David has been appointed to head the Philippine Navy (PN)’s Fleet Marine Warfare Center (FMWC) located at the Naval Station Jose Francisco, Taguig City.
Captain Jonathan Zata, PN spokesperson, in a message to the Philippine News Agency Thursday, said David was named FMWC chief last June 24. Assumption ceremonies took place at Acero Hall, Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown of the said facility.
David replaced Marine Col. Francisco Domingo R. Fernandez, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1991, who was transferred to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Command Center in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Rear Admiral Allan Ferdinand Valdez Cusi, Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command (NETDC) chief, presided over the ceremonies.
Cusi, in his speech, lauded Fernandez for his exemplary leadership at the FMWC, adding that David “had big shoes to fill”.
But he added that he has confidence in David due to the latter’s credentials and good military accomplishments.
Fernandez took up his Command and Staff Course at the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College and his Master in Military Studies at the Marine Corps University, both in Quantico, Virginia, USA.
In 1998 he completed his Master in Business Management Course at the Asian Institute of Management.
After his last field duty billet, he was consequently assigned to various positions at different units/offices at the Headquarters, Philippine Marine Corps; Headquarters Philippine Navy; and General Headquarters, AFP.
Fernandez assumed the post as the third FMWC commander in September 2017.
Meanwhile, David, who hails from Tarlac, is a member of PMA Class 94 and prior to his new post was the assistant chief of Fleet Staff for Plans, F-5 at the headquarters Philippine Fleet.
He is also served a tour-of-duty as commanding officer of BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602) which participated in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise last year.
He is a recipient of numerous military awards and commendations and has been constantly at the top bracket of all education and training courses that he has attended since his plebe days at PMA.
The FMWC is one of the three research and development units that was activated in 2014 as part of the Navy’s commitment to becoming a bastion of innovation under the Islands of Good Governance Agenda.
The other two R&D units are the Office of Naval Strategic Studies and the Naval Research and Technology Development. The FMWC was integrated as a sub-unit of the NETDC in February.
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