Senga now on farewell sorties

Just as his predecessors in the military service have traditionally done, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Gen. Generoso Senga has begun making visits to troops at the front lines to say goodbye.

Senga is stepping down on July 21 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

As part of long-time military tradition, Senga has embarked on an "exit call" to troops deployed in forward and far-flung positions.

Last Saturday, as most past AFP chiefs did for one last time before retirement, he flew to the Kalayaan Group of Islands (KIG) to pay a visit and be with the troops stationed in the area for several hours.

Soldiers stationed on Pagasa Island, one of the many islands in the Spratlys, are the most favored military personnel in terms of exit calls by retiring military chiefs.

Other than that, the military assignment in the area is considered most difficult, especially for the soldiers posted in nearby islets.

Aside from guarding the territory from foreign intruders, the soldiers’ greatest enemy is boredom.

Senga’s KIG trip was only one of the many local and foreign travels he has made as part of the traditional military exit call to troops in the field.

So far, Senga has visited Brunei, Vietnam, China and most recently Hawaii, where he represented the military in the inaugural meeting of the joint Security Engagement Board (SEB) between the military forces of the Philippines and the United States.