"And when the war is over, and all the guns of battle cease to ring, I, the INFANTRYMAN shall be crowned King"
The Infantry is the nucleus of the figthing arm of the Philippine Army. The backbone of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Their origin as a figthing unit traces back to the time when Lapu-lapu led his gallant
men and defeated the Spanish Army, then a world military power in the battle of Mactan in 1521. The Philippine Infantrymen has recorded more combat exploits than any member of the AFP up to this present time even with its counterparts, the Scout Rangers and the Special Forces combined. Eight (8) Infantry Divisions are in active duty today within the organization of the Philippine Army each composed of 6,000 men commanded by either a Brigadier or Major General. Many more divisions can be formed through
the reservist when the call to defend the nation is given.
The Infantrymen takes and holds the ground and defend it from enemy opposition. The Air Force may clear the way, holds enemy reinforcement in the rear and destroys its capability to produce weapons, the navy can quarantine the coastline and deprived the enemy routes of supply and retreat, the special forces can recon the front lines "the no-man's land" and can gather accurate intelligence, but it is the infantryman, the ground trooper, the foot soldier, the rifleman, the dirt-eater, the grunt that decides wheater the war is won or lost. They are the only ones who can bring the enemy's leaders to the peace and ultimately to the surrender table. Filipinos and other citizens rises in the morning and still be free not mindful that he owes that freedom to the one who slept in the mud last night, enduring pain and fatigue, snaking through the jungles amid all the snakes and mosquitoes ready to give the ultimate sacrifice and may never be heard from again.
They have soldiered well, in the past, present and into the future against ants, insects, leeches, the jungle weather, the New People's Army and the enemies of the nation - foreign and domestic.
Today, the Philippine Army infantryman is equipped modernly armed from the M9 Baretta sidearm to the Scorpion tank. One Filipino soldier can carry the firepower equivalent to that of a World War II Philippine Scout platoon. Its mission is plain simple, keep democracy and the sovereignty of the flag and the nation he swore to protect from the day he graduates from basic training till the day he dies. Its better said than done and their exploits in battles are never gone unheard. Division names like Tabak, Spearhead, Kampilan, Kaugnay, the now defunct task force Amianan and Sugarland are common names in Filipino household who have sent their loved ones when their country called coming from towns you never heard of to serve under these banners layered with flying colors of bravery and bravado - the ultimate giving to preserve freedom and peace to Filipino generations to come.