Officer’s mess – AFM bogged down by too many promotions
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Government is reportedly considering promoting the armed forces commander to the rank of General.
The move is said to have been proposed to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi by government military advisors, as a possible option to appease personnel who cannot advance further in their career, given the “over-crowding” at the top levels.
In an army of almost 2,000 men, the AFM has five Colonels and six Lt. Colonels, each of them commanding units, while another two are reportedly away from the island on official duty.
The issues surrounding governments concerns over the AFM structures are reminiscent of a number of years of political interference in the promotions process.
The consequences of such interference are said to be “suffocating” the AFM, and embarrassing for government, as the Ombudsman continues to receive complaints from personnel who claim injustices, discrimination and other matters for not being granted a promotion.
Asked to comment about the report, a senior spokesman at the Office of the Prime Minister said last night that “any comment is sheer speculation.”
Promoting Brigadier Martin Xuereb to the rank of Major-General with two stars, would also mean that he would be raised to the rank of Chief of Staff, and at par with a senior defense advisor to the Commander-in-Chief, that is the Prime Minister.
Currently, as a Brigadier, Martin Xuereb is considered at par with a one-star General who is in command of the equivalent of a brigade, made up of 2,000 men.
But the move would also take a toll on the government’s civil service structure, given that the post never existed before, and the scale in civil service hierarchy must be adjusted.
The Deputy Commander would be raised from Colonel to Brigadier and would oversee the general command of the AFM, while the rest of the top military brass would be distributed and positioned better to allow more space for advancement.
The problems facing the AFM is that the top levels of command are occupied by men who have an average age of 44, except one man who is 55 years old.
This poses a problem, as their posts are almost all occupied for the next 10 years, practically leaving the doors closed for the advancement of others.
Too many men at the top also spells a cost for the administration of the AFM as all are entitled to a car and driver, not to mention other privileges.
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