15th Infantry Division (Philippines)

Fifteenth Infantry Division (Ready Reserve), Philippine Army
File:15InfDiv(RR).jpg Coat of Arms of the 15ID(RR), PA
Active	10 July 2006 - Present
Country	Philippines
Branch	Philippine Army
Type	organized as an Infantry division
Role	performs multiple military roles in Conventional and Unconventional Warfare, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HA/DR), and Civil-Military Operations (CMO)
Size	5 Brigades, 15 Battalions. Total is 6,320 trained and operational citizen-soldiers
Part of	Under the Army Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ	Fort Andres Bonifacio, Metro Manila
Nickname(s)	Defender & Builder Division
Motto(s)	Defender & Builder
Mascot(s)	Crossed Rifle & Shovel
Anniversaries	10 July 2006
Commanders
Current commander	BGEN MARCELO B JAVIER JR AFP (RES)
Notable commanders	BGEN MARCELO B JAVIER JR AFP (RES)
Insignia
Unit Patch	15ID(RR)Badge

The 15th Infantry Division (Ready Reserve), Philippine Army, affectionately known as the Defender & Builder Division, is one of the Philippine Army Reserve Command's ready reserve Infantry divisions. The unit specializes in Urban Warfare, Urban Search and Rescue, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, and Civil-Military Operations.

The division has been duly recognized by national command authority as one of the best divisions specializing in Urban Search and Rescue Operations, operating primarily within the bounds of the National Capital Region.

History

The 15th Infantry Division (Ready Reserve), PA was created pursuant to HPA General Orders Number 290 dated 10 July 2006. It is composed of line task units re-organized from the deactivated 9th Infantry Division (Ready Reserve) PA.

Mission

• Base for expansion of the Regular Force in the event of war, invasion or rebellion.
• Assist the Government in Relief and Rescue Operations in the event of Calamities or Disasters.
• Assist the Government in Socio-economic development and environmental concerns.
• Assist in the operation & maintenance of essential government and private utilies (e.g. power, telecommunications, water).

Vision

A well disciplined, organized, trained and non-partisan citizen army, able to augment the regular force and respond to national disasters and threats to national security, during peacetime, war or rebellion mandated to perform tasks of Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW)

Lineage of Commanding Officers

• BGEN MARCELO B JAVIER JR AFP (RES) (10 Jul 06 - PRESENT)
• COL RAFAEL M ALUNAN III PA(RES) (during operational term as 9th Infantry Division) - also a former Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary

Lineage of Platoon Officers and Battalion Commander

• LT. COL REYNALDO N. ENRIQUEZ AFP (RES) ACTIVE
• MAJOR ARTHUR LABITAN AFP (INF) ACTIVE
• MAJOR ALMARIO SORIANO AFP (RES) ACTIVE
• CAPT. NUEVO MAGTANGOL AFP (RES) ACTIVE
• CAPT. RIZALDE CELIS AFP (RES) ACTIVE
• 1 LT . EDUARDO BARTE AFP (RES) ACTIVE
• 1 LT. ANTONIO REYES AFP (RES) ACTIVE
• 2 LT. BILLY ABOGADIE II AFP (INF)(RES) ACTIVE
• 2 LT. JUANITO DELA PENA AFP (RES) ACTIVE
• 2 LT. EDWIN GUZMAN AFP (RES) ACTIVE

Lineage of Command Sergeant Majors

• MSg Henry Teodoro M Hernia ML-A088367(Res) PA (16 Jan 2008 - 14 Jul 2009) - nationally-registered range officer and competitive shooter; practicing architect; one of the first Ready Reservists to participate in a United Nations deployment (deployed to Golan Heights)
• MSg Olivia P Antonio 11E-5841 (Res) PA (15 Jul 2009 - 04 Sep 09)
• SMS Emmanuel "Manny" D Pacquiao (Res) PA (04 Sep 9 - 24 Oct 2010) - internationally recognized boxer who is now a Lieutenant Colonel commissioned thru Circular 30 by virtue of his appointment as Congressman.
• MSg Ma Theresa C Cuerdo (Res) PA (24 Oct 2010 - unknown) - Acting Division Sgt Major during the absence of the incumbent

Units

The following are the Base/Brigade units that are under the 15th Infantry Division (RR).

• Headquarters & Headquarters Service Battalion (HHSBn)
• Service Support Battalion (SSBn)
• Military Police Company (MP Coy)
• Engineering Combat Battalion (ECBn)
• Reconnaissance Battalion (Recon Bn)
• Military Intelligence Battalion (MIBn)
• Search and Rescue Unit (SARU) formerly Disaster Assistance Rescue Team (DART) = the premier elite task unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Urban Search and Rescue. SARU Personnel received extensive rescue cross-training from Singapore Civil Defense Academy, South Korea 119 National Rescue Services, Philippine Army 18th Special Forces (DEAR) Company, Philippine Air Force 505th Search and Rescue Group, Bureau of Fire Protection Special Rescue Unit, Department of National Defense-Office of Civil Defense, Philippine Red Cross, Makati City Rescue and Pasig City Rescue.
• 1501st Brigade (Ready Reserve)
• 1502nd Brigade (Ready Reserve)
• 1503rd Brigade (Ready Reserve)
• 1504th Brigade (Ready Reserve)
• 1505th Brigade (Ready Reserve)

Trainings

The following are division-level special trainings undertaken by the unit reservists:

• Basic Citizen Military Training
• Military Orientation Training
• Pre-Deployment Training
• Disaster Emergency Assistance and Rescue Training
• High Angle Rescue Training
• Mountain Search and Rescue Training
• Water Search and Rescue Training
• Urban Search and Rescue Training
• Civil Military Operations Orientation Training
• Special Forces Operations Orientation Training
• Field Artillery Orientation Training
• Combat Engineering Orientation Training
• Small Unit Tactics Training
• VIP Security Training
• Motorcycle Unit Training
• Combat Lifesaver Training
• Reservist Intelligence Collection Training
• Military Intelligence and Security Training
• Counterintelligence Refresher Course
• Military Intelligence Agent Training
• Explosive Ordnance Reconnaissance Agent cross-trained with Counter Improvised Explosive Device

Training is supervised and course-directed by reservist officers who are occupational specialty qualified former active duty members already incorporated in the ready reserve force.

Unit reservists also undertake regular courses from AFP and regular Army TRADOC and special schools. There are reservists who are already authorized to don infantry, ordnance, civil military operations, psychological operations and airborne badges. The unit reservists also undertake specialized trainings from other government agencies.

Many unit officers and personnel have already served the fixed two-year called-to-active-duty tour in the regular force. As a modern reserve force, many possess advanced degrees, technical and professional certifications that are skill gaps in the regular force. And as such, are considered excellent force multipliers in internal security and external defense operations.

Operations

• Various Civil-Military Operations
• Various Internal Security Intelligence and Counterintelligence Operations
• Various National-level Disaster Field Demonstrations and Exercises
• Various Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Operations
• Rescue and Relief Operations TS Ondoy & Peping (September - October 2010)
• Rescue and Relief Operations TS Sendong (October 2011)
• Rescue and Relief Operations West Monsoon HABAGAT (August 2012)
• Intelligence for Drug Operation in Quezon City, Fairview

References

• Philippine Army: The first 100 years, Philippine Army, 1998
• HPA GO Nr 290 dtd 16 June 2006.
• HARESCOM GO Nr 233 dtd 20 July 2006.
• Basic Citizens Military Training Manual, HARESCOM, 2009