A SENIOR Navy flag officer has been designated as the acting commander of the Philippine Fleet, a major unit in charge of surface and air assets of the Philippine Navy.
Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad took the helm of the Fleet during rites presided over by acting Navy chief Rear Adm. Caesar Bernard Valencia at the fleet’s headquarters at Sangley Point in Cavite City last Monday.
Trinidad, who will lead the Fleet in concurrent capacity as the unit’s deputy commander, succeeded Rear Adm. Nichols Driz, who reached the retirement age of 56 Monday.
Trinidad, a member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1991, had previously served as commander of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Force.
He had also held key positions, including deputy commander of the Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command; deputy commander of the Naval Forces Central; Assistant Chief of Naval Staff for Operations; director of the Naval Operations Center; chief of staff of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao and concurrent chief of staff of the Joint Task Force Zambasulta.
“I encourage you to maintain or surpass the accomplishments of the Fleet in the past years. I hope that your new assignment as the father of the Philippine Fleet will push you to your greatest potential,” Valencia told Trinidad.
Valencia commended Driz who bowed out of the service after 37 years of service, saying Driz’s “significant contributions to the development of the Fleet will remain essential pillars of its further growth as an organization.
“As the commander, you have continuously enriched the various fields, whether in personnel, administration, logistics or operations, and also extensively supported and encouraged the specialization drive within your core staff, offices, centers, and units, on matters regarding personnel management, intelligence, plans, logistics, finance, cyber, and education and training,” said Valencia.
Driz thanked fleet personnel who he said “remained true to our ideals and remained unfazed in reaching our milestones through our collaborative efforts amidst the challenges of the security environment and the Philippine Navy’s changing capability requirements.”
