New commander for armed forces

Col Carmel Vassallo is to take over as commander of the Armed Forces next month, at 49 one of the youngest heads ever.

He will be replacing Brigadier Rupert Montanaro who is retiring, having served as commander since 1996.

Col Vassallo has been deputy head for the past seven years. He will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier and commander on March 1.

He studied for two years in the Italian Army War College in Civitavecchia, and became major in 1989.

He became colonel in 1996, and in 1998 spent a year at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London. He has completed various other courses, including qualifying as a helicopter pilot.

For the past three years he has been the Maltese delegate to the military committee of the EU.

He is married with three children, a boy and two girls, and also has two grandchildren.