8th Infantry Division (Philippines)

Eight Infantry Division
Coat of Arms of the 8ID
Active	August 1, 1988 - Present
Country	Philippines
Branch	Philippine Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Conventional Warfare, Anti-Guerrilla Operations
Size	3 Brigades, 10 Battalions. Total is 5000+ soldiers
Part of	Under the Philippine Army
Garrison/HQ	Camp General Vicente Lukban, Catbalogan City, Samar
Nickname(s)	Storm Trooper Division
Mascot(s)	8 pointed star
Anniversaries	August 1
Engagements	World War II * Japanese Occupation of the Philippines (1942-1945) * Battle of the Visayas (1945) * Battle for Cebu City (1945) Communist and Islamic Insurgency in the Philippines Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines Anti-guerilla operations against the NPA and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Commanders
Current commander	MGen Gerardo T Layug AFP
Notable commanders	Bgen Isagani T Delos Santos AFP, BGen Romulo F Yap AFP, BGen Rufo A De Veyra AFP, BGen Romeo Dominguez AFP, BGen Glenn Rabonza AFP, BGen Bonifacio Ramos AFP, BGen Rodrigo Maclang AFP
Insignia
Unit Patch	8ID Storm Trooper Badge

The 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, known officially as the Storm Trooper Division, is one of the Philippine Army's Infantry units in the Visayas, combating Local Communist Units, and terrorists.

History

Untold History of the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Commonwealth Army during World War II

8th Infantry Division, Philippine Commonwealth Army in Central Visayas During the Japanese Occupation in World War II, the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Commonwealth Army was founded and military establishment on 1942 to 1946 was active at the general headquarters on the main province of Cebu and Bohol in Central Visayas. The reconstituted by unsurrendered USAFFE officers who organized guerilla units from the remnants of the 8th Military District right after their American and Filipino Officers surrendered to the Japanese after the Battle of Bataan in 1942. The Division's Area of Operations were the Provinces of Cebu and Bohol in Central Visayas and they were tasked by General Douglas MacArthur to combat the Imperial Japanese Army & Imperial Japanese Navy whom they fought using local Philippine Commonwealth military and recognized guerilla tactics starting 1942 until the United States military was returned to Liberate the Philippines in 1944 and aiding the local Filipino troops and guerrillas when more supplies arrived that allowed more company & regimental-sized operations to be conducted against its main nemesis, the IJA 35th Army up to the end of the war.

During the Japanese Occupation of Cebu, the guerillas and male civilians, who were organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and its subordinate units the several Infantry Regiments, Field Artillery Regiments and others and supported by the PCA 3rd, 82nd, 85th, 86th and 87th Infantry Division and local Cebuano guerrilla resistance was fought the Japanese in the Battle of Guila-Guila in Compostela, Cebu on March 5, 1943. This battle, commanded by Major Fabian M. Sanchez, resulted in numerous casualties to the Imperial Japanese Army and best estimates were ten (10) truckloads of dead Japanese soldiers versus one (1) Filipino killed.

During the Japanese Conflicts and Counter Insurgencies in Central Visayas on 1942 to 1945, when the outgoing guerillas and male civilians was who were organized and joined as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and its subordinate units the several Infantry Regiments, Field Artillery Regiments and others and supported by the PCA 3rd, 82nd, 85th, 86th and 87th Infantry Division and the Incoming PC 8th Infantry Regiment was operated in the province of Cebu and Bohol and helping by the Cebuano and Boholano resistance attacks the Japanese. After the four year conflicts in Central Visayas, when the local troops of the Commonwealth Army and Constabulary units and the Cebuano and Boholano resistance in Cebu and Bohol was retreat by the Japanese hands before the American troops during the liberation and help Filipino ground troops and Visayan resistance. During the battle for the Liberation of Cebu in 1945, guerillas and male civilians organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and it subordinate units including the several Infantry Regiments, Field Artillery Regiments and many others, supporting for the local troopers of the PCA 3rd, 81st, 82nd, 85th, 86th and 87th Infantry Division, American soldiers of the U.S. Army Americal Division and the Cebuano guerrilla resistance conducted and fought combat operations against the IJA 35th Army under General Sosaku Suzuki and they recaptured and liberated Cebu. They fought in the Northern Cebu Campaign, Southern Cebu Campaign, the Invasion of Liloan, the Invasion of Mandaue, the Battle for Cebu City on March 26, to April 8, 1945, Fall of Pardo and Basak, Battle of Daanbantayan, Battle of Toledo and the Battle of Bantayan.

In the island Province of Bohol starting in 1945, guerillas and male civilians organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and its subordinate units including the several Infantry Regiments Field Artillery Regiments and many others, supporting for the local troopers of the PCA 3rd, 81st, 83rd, 85th and 86th Infantry Division, the PC 8th Infantry Regiment, Boholano guerrilla resistance and American soldiers of the U.S. Army Americal Division liberated Bohol from their nemesis, the IJA 35th Army, again, under General Sosaku Suzuki started the Second Battle of Bohol.

Untold History of the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army during Post-War era

After the Second World War, The 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army is a known officially as the Storm Trooper Division was founding establishment on August 1, 1988 and they stationed and headquarters in Camp General Vicente Lukban, Catbalogan City, Samar. The local government soldiers and officers under the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army was sending the combat operations in the Visayas region and the engagements of the Anti-Communist Operations and helping aided and supported of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the CAFGU militia forces against the communist rebels of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) and other local crinimal elements.

During the Operation Enduring Freedom in the Philippines under the War on Terrorism and the Islamic Insurgency in Mindanao, Southern Philippines. The local government troops of the Philippine Army 8th Infantry "Storm Trooper" Division was sending the clearing combat operations in Mindanao on Southern Philippines and the engagements of the Anti-Islamic and Counter-Terrorism operations and helping aided and supporting of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, the CAFGU militia forces and the U.S. Armed Forces to fought against the Islamic rebels and bandits of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and other local crinimal elements.

Mission

The 8th Infantry (Storm Trooper) Division, Philippine Army often conducts Internal Security Operations (ISO) in their Area of Responsibility (AOR) to dismantle and destroy the remaining guerilla fronts of the Local Communist Movement (LCM) in order to attain peace and stability conducive to sustainable development in assisting the Philippine government in its socio-economic development projects; and assists the Philippine National Police curb criminality in the Visayas Region.

Lineage of Commanding Officers

• Brigadier General Isagani T. Delos Santos AFP (26 May 1986–31 March 1988)
• Brigadier General Federico E. Ruiz Jr AFP (31 March 1988–27 March 1990)
• Brigadier General Romulo F. Yap AFP (27 March 1990–10 January 1992)
• Brigadier General Ruperto A. Ambil AFP (10 June 1992–12 April 1994)
• Brigadier General Danilo P. Olay AFP (12 March 1994–15 March 1996)
• Brigadier General Romeo B. Tarrayo AFP (4 April 1996–15 January 1998)
• Major General Arturo B. Carrillo AFP (15 January 1998–6 November 1999)
• Major General Rufo A. De Veyra AFP (6 November 1999–7 July 2001)
• Major General Romeo B. Dominguez AFP (6 July 2001–10 February 2003)
• Major General Glenn J. Rabonza AFP (10 February 2003–4 January 2005)
• Brigadier General Bonifacio B. Ramos AFP (4 January 2005–10 February 2005)
• Major General Jovito S. Palparan Jr. AFP (10 February 2005–25 August 2005)
• Major General Bonifacio B. Ramos AFP (25 August 2005–29 July 2006)
• Brigadier General Randy S. Dauz AFP (29 July 2006–16 August 2006)
• Major General Rodrigo F. Maclang AFP (16 August 2006–15 January 2007)
• Major General Armando L. Cunanan AFP (15 January 2007–19 May 2008)
• Brigadier General Allan Ragpala AFP (19 May 2008–4 June 2008)
• Brigadier General Arthur I. Tabaquero AFP (4 June 2008–24 August 2010)
• Major General Mario F. Chan AFP (24 August 2010–8 April 2012)
• Major General Gerardo T. Layug AFP (8 April 2012–TO DATE)

Subordinate Units

• 14th Infantry (Avenger) Battalion
• 19th Infantry (Commando) Battalion
• 20th Infantry (We Lead) Battalion
• 34th Infantry (Reliable) Battalion
• 43rd Infantry (We Search) Battalion
• 46th Infantry (Peace Makers) Battalion
• 52nd Infantry (Catch 'Em) Battalion
• 62nd Infantry (Unifier) Battalion
• 63rd Infantry (Innovator) Battalion
• 78th Infantry (Warrior) Battalion
• 87th Infantry (Hinirang) Battalion

Operations

• Anti-guerrilla operations against the New People's Army
• Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines.

References

• http://www.army.mil.ph/Army_Sites/
• http://army.mil.ph/Army_Sites/INFANTRY%20DIVISIONS/8ID/