United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) was a military formation of the United States Army active from 1941 to 1946. The new command's headquarters was created on 26 July 1941,at No. 1,Calle Victoria,Manila,Luzon,the Philippines,with General Douglas MacArthur as commander. The Chief of Staff was Brigadier General Richard K. Sutherland and the Deputy Chief of Staff was Lieutenant Colonel Richard J. Marshall. The core of this command was drawn from the Office of the Military Advisor to the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines.
The Philippine Army (PA) is the main,oldest and largest branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),responsible for ground warfare and as of 2021 had an estimated strength of 143,100 soldiers backed by 131,000 ready reserves. The service branch was established on December 21,1935,as the Philippine Commonwealth Army. The Philippine Army has engaged in many conflicts including the ongoing Communist rebellion in the Philippines,the Moro conflict and,alongside other national military forces,in conflicts of international scope.
The 1st Infantry Division,Philippine Army,nicknamed Tabak Division,is the Philippine Army's primary infantry unit,and specializes in anti-guerrilla warfare. The division has been involved in combating terrorists in Southern Mindanao.
Cardozo Manalo Luna is a retired three-star general and the 35th Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Cardozo Luna also served as the commander of two unified commands,Eastern Mindanao Command and Central Command. He served as the Philippine Ambassador to The Hague,Netherlands from 2009 until 2010 He is the current Undersecretary of Department of National Defense.
Eulogio Balao was a Filipino soldier and politician.
Voltaire Tuvera Gazmin is a retired Filipino soldier who was the 35th Secretary of the Department of National Defense of the Philippines. Gazmin assumed office on 1 July 2010,after President Benigno S. Aquino III had issued the former's appointment the day before.
Ernesto S. Mata was a Filipino General and the 15th Secretary of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines,serving in that capacity from 21 January 1967 to 3 February 1970.
Noel A. Coballes is a retired Filipino Lieutenant General and a two-time Distinguished Conduct Star recipient for combat actions in Maguindanao,and thrice recipient of Distinguished Service Star. He also was awarded five Gold Cross Medals,two Bronze Cross Medals,and more than one Military Merit Medals. He is the former Commanding General of the Philippine Army.
The 81st Infantry Division was a reserve division of the Philippine Army under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). It was established in the prewar period and fought 1941–1942. Its troops are from Cebu,Bohol,and Leyte but most of its troops are Americans and junior officers are Filipinos coming mostly from Luzon. The division served in defense of Mindanao but it never commanded the 4 of its maneuver regiments but was supplemented with 61st Infantry from Panay and 73rd Infantry from Negros. Also,2nd Regular Regiment was transferred to its command in the early part of Japanese invasion of Mindanao.
The 101st Infantry Division was one the reserve divisions of the Philippine Army under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE)'s 10th Military district mainly entire island of Mindanao.
Mariano Numeriano Castañeda was a Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,Provincial Governor of Cavite,Philippine Constabulary,United States Armed Forces in the Far East,and a recipient the Philippines highest military award for courage,the Medal of Valor.
Carlito Guancing Galvez Jr. is a retired Philippine Army general serving as the Senior Undersecretary and briefly as officer-in-charge of the Department of National Defense since 2023 and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process since 2018. He also served as the Chief Implementer of the Philippines' Declared National Policy Against COVID-19. In November 2020,he was appointed as the country's COVID-19 vaccine czar,and was responsible for leading the government's efforts in bringing into the country about 245.23 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of May 2022 beginning in 2021 despite the global vaccine shortage. Prior to this,he also previously served as the 50th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from April to December 2018.
Benjamin Rasgo Madrigal Jr. is a retired Philippine Army general serving as the Administrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority under the Duterte administration since January 2020. He previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from December 2018 to September 2019. He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy "Sandiwa" Class of 1985,along with his predecessor Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr.
Felimon Talusan Santos Jr. is a retired Filipino general who served as the former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Prior to his appointment,he served as the commander of the AFP Eastern Mindanao Command,and the 7th Infantry Division. He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy "Sinagtala" Class of 1986.
Rafael Ledesma Jalandoni was a Philippine Constabulary officer who served as the 3rd Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He was appointed by President Manuel Roxas in 1946 after gaining independence from United States. He retired in 1948. He served as an aide of President Manuel L. Quezon in pre-war years.
Jose Calingasan Faustino Jr. is a retired Philippine Army general who previously served as Senior Undersecretary and officer-in-charge of the Department of National Defense.
Alfonso Viterbo Arellano was a Filipino army officer who served as AFP Chief of Staff from 1956 to 1958. He was a World War II veteran and decorated soldier. He was appointed by President Ramon Magsaysay a fellow WW II hero.
Visayas-Mindanao Force was a military formation created in November 1941 to command all soldiers of US Army,US Philippine Scouts,Philippine Army,and Philippine Constabulary in the southern islands of the Philippines. Colonel William F. Sharp was appointed as commanding general and was promoted to Brigadier General in November 1941 and later Major General. He was just starting to organize his command and train his soldiers into a fighting unit when the war started on December 7,1941.
Mindanao Force is a corps size military unit defending the island of Mindanao the second largest Island of the Philippines from March 17,1942,to its surrender on May 9,1942. The force was already created when the Visayas-Mindanao Force was split into two in March 1942. It was initiated in February 1942 in the headquarters of US Army Forces in the Far East but took effect when General Douglas MacArthur departed for Australia on March 17,1942.
61st Infantry Regiment is a military unit and formation of the Philippine Commonwealth Army,activated in August 1941 in Panay Island. It is under the command of 61st Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army. The regiment collapsed in May 1942 with its commanding officer captured by the Japanese Army in Lanao.
Major General 