From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Mar 7): Retiring ‘Superman’ writes PMA cadets extolling peace
The millennial cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) on Saturday received a letter from outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Hernando Iriberri on how peace building has enriched the military.
In lieu of a speech, Iriberri read the letter to the cadets and then handed it to the corps’ senior cadet during a testimonial parade given in honor of the chief of staff on Saturday, 48 days before his mandatory retirement on April 22 when he turns 56.
Letter writing is “the secret weapon” of cadets, who reread notes from girlfriends and parents because these are “lifelines and carriers of hope” to combat a stressful PMA life, said Iriberri, who earned the monicker “Superman” as he rose through the ranks.
A member of PMA “Matikas” Class of 1983, Iriberri said that writing a letter may seem odd to a generation of cadets that is more at home with texting their thoughts and discussing their passions on social media.
Completing career cycle
Iriberri told the cadets that writing the letter was his way of completing the cycle of his career as a soldier. He said military life helped him “fully appreciate the dividends of peace and of building consensus.”
He said the military of the 21st century is composed of “men and women in uniform [who] are not only warriors, but [are] also builders, peace makers, teachers, advocates and partners for progress [because]… we interact, we build relationships and we strengthen alliances.”
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/771253/retiring-superman-writes-pma-cadets-extolling-peace
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