counterinsurgency

THE 10TH Infantry Division deployed 45 newly assigned second lieutenants to the field following their completion of the Platoon Leaders Orientation Training (PLOT).

The send-off ceremony, held on Feb. 9, 2026, at Balunto Hall, Camp General Manuel T. Yan Sr., was spearheaded by 10ID commander Major General Alvin Luzon, senior officers, and key staff.

The team—comprising 39 men and six women—underwent PLOT as a key pre-deployment course designed to sharpen leadership, tactical decision-making, and operational readiness before they take command of their respective units.

In his address, Luzon emphasized that leadership is rooted in responsibility and service. “Take care of yourself, your soldiers, and your family, and everything else will follow,” Luzon said, urging the young officers to lead with humility, discipline, and decisiveness.

The commander noted that their deployment will significantly bolster the Agila Division’s operational capabilities and support the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ broader mandate to defend the nation.

In his send-off speech, Luzon emphasized that the role of a platoon leader is a “make-or-break” phase in an officer’s professional life. He reminded the young officers that while training, schooling, and doctrine provide foundations, it is their personal decisions, moral fiber, and conduct in real-world situations that will truly define them.

“The moment you step into your unit and assume your role as a second lieutenant—whether as a platoon leader, intelligence officer, or staff officer—that experience will define you,” he stressed. “Not in comparison with others, but in how you measure yourself.”

He said that leadership is tested in small but critical moments—how officers treat their troops, how they respond to ethical challenges, and how they uphold discipline and integrity even when no one is watching. He stressed that character, once formed early, carries forward throughout an officer’s career.

Luzon reminded the lieutenants that rank alone does not make a leader. “Your soldiers will not follow you simply because you are a Lieutenant,” he said. “They will follow you because they trust you and because they are willing to entrust their lives to you.”

He explained that earning trust requires consistency, humility, and professionalism, especially when leading more experienced enlisted personnel. According to him, once trust is established, leadership becomes genuine and enduring, even in the most difficult operational environments.

The session featured an open and extensive question-and-answer portion, where the second lieutenants raised practical concerns on leadership challenges, legal responsibilities, human rights issues, operational environments, and professional image-building as junior officers.

In closing, Luzon reiterated his responsibility in guiding the young officers toward the right path. 

“I am telling you these things because you are my Lieutenants,” he said. “I do not want you to go down the wrong path. Your leadership journey starts now.”