Arnulfo Gonzalez Acedera, Jr. (19 December 1941 – 15 June 2020) was a Filipino general who served as the

Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force The Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force is the overall commander and senior general of the Philippine Air Force, the aerial warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is normally held by a three-star rank of Lieutena ...

and as the

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP) is the highest-ranking military officer (except for the President of the Philippines, who holds the position of Commander-in-Chief equivalent to a five-star general) and the he ...

. He was a recipient of awards such as the

Distinguished Service Star The Distinguished Service Star is the third highest military award of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is awarded for eminently meritorious and valuable service rendered while holding a position of great responsibility. Description of the ...

Distinguished Aviation Cross The Distinguished Aviation CrossThe AFP Adjutant General, ''AFP Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 26. is a military decoration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is presented for heroism or achievement during aerial operati ...

Bronze Cross Medal The Bronze Cross MedalThe AFP Adjutant General, ''AFP Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 29. is a single grade military decoration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines which is awarded for "heroism involving risk of life" under c ...

and

Silver Wing Medal This Silver Wing Medal is a military decoration awarded by Armed Forces of the Philippines to Philippine and allied military personnel. The Silver Wing Medal is awarded in only one class, and may be awarded by the List of AFP Chiefs of Staff, Chief ...

Biography

Acedera was born on December 19, 1941, in

Cardona, Rizal Cardona, officially the Municipality of Cardona (), is a municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 50,143 people. Etymology An oral folklore tells how the name “Cardona” was deri ...

to Arnulfo Acedera Sr., and Virginia Gonzales. Arnulfo Sr. was a pioneering aviator with the

Philippine Army Air Corps The Philippine Army Air Corps () was created in 1935 as the air component of the Philippine Army. It was the predecessor of the Philippine Air Force, created in 1947. History The Air Corps was created by the Philippine National Assembly' ...

under Col. Jesus Villamor, and fello
Calapeno
and World War II hero, Lt.

Jose Gozar Jose Protacio Cangco Gozar (April 8, 1918 – 1942) was a Filipinos, Filipino military aviator and a flight officer of the Philippine Army Air Corps, who was awarded at the outbreak of World War II the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) ...

. Arnulfo Jr. wanted to study at the

Mapua Institute of Technology Mapua, Māpua or Mapúa may refer to: *Mapuá River, a river in the Pará state of north-central Brazil *Māpua, New Zealand, a small town on the South Island of New Zealand *Mapúa University Mapúa University (), also known simply as Mapúa o ...

and that way get a degree in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

, but changed his mind and went to the

Philippine Military Academy The Philippine Military Academy ( / ) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). It was established on Decembe ...

instead in 1959 from which he graduated four years later. He continued on studying flying in

Lipa, Batangas Lipa (), officially the City of Lipa (), is a component city in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 372,931 people. It is the first city with a charter in the province and one of five ...

at the PAF Flying School from which he graduated in 1965. From 1966 to 1967 he was a

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

for both the 3rd and 4th PAF Detachments which were part of

601st Liaison Squadron 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics A six-sided polygon is a hexagon, one of the three regular polygons capable of tiling the plane. A hexagon al ...

and

205th Composite Wing Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth Avenue * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a conta ...

. In 1973 he flew

Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 w ...

for training purposes at

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest ...

. In 1976 he took

Swearingen Merlin The Swearingen Merlin or the Fairchild Aerospace Merlin is a pressurized, twin turboprop business aircraft first produced by Swearingen Aircraft, and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas. Development The Merlin was an evolution ...

course at

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

, and by 1983 passed a course at the

Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

Fort Bonifacio Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly Fort William McKinley) is the site of the national headquarters of the Philippine Army (Headquarters Philippine Army or HPA) located in Taguig, Philippines. The camp is named after Andres Bonifacio, the revolutio ...

. From June 14 to November 8, 1994, he became

Deputy Chief of Staff Deputy Chief of Staff and similar titles can refer to: Military positions United States Air Force *Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Cyber Effects Operations of the United States Air Force * Deputy Chief of St ...

and from November 8 of the same year to December 26 of the next year, worked at the

Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) () are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Philippine Army, Army, the Philippine Air Force, Air Force, and the Philippine Navy, Navy (including the P ...

. From the same date and till November 28, 1996, he was a commanding General of the

Philippine Air Force The Philippine Air Force (PAF) () is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Initially formed as part of the Philippine Army as the Philippine Army Air Corps (PAAC) in 1935, the PAAC eventually saw combat ...

and then until December 17, 1997, was a Chief of Staff in the

Awards in military service

Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation The Philippine Presidential Unit citation BadgeThe AFP Adjutant General, ''Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 65. is a unit decoration of the Republic of the Philippines. It has been awarded to certain units of the United States ...

Martial Law Unit Citation * PHL People Power I Unit Citation

People Power I Unit Citation * PHL Legion of Honor - Legionnaire BAR

Philippine Legion of Honor The Philippine Legion of Honor (; ) was established by President Manuel Roxas, through Philippine Army Circular No. 60 dated July 3, 1947. The Philippine Legion of Honour, Honor was patterned after the Legion of Merit of the United States of Amer ...

Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Operations Ribbon

Disaster Relief & Rehabilitation Operation Ribbon *

Anti-dissidence Campaign Medal * Luzon Anti-dissidence Campaign Medal

Luzon Anti Dissidence Campaign Medal * PHL Visayas Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal ribbon

Visayas Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal *

Mindanao Anti-dissidence Campaign Medal * AFP Long Service Medal

Long Service Medal

References

1941 births 2020 deaths People from Rizal (province) Filipino generals Chiefs of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Philippine Military Academy alumni Philippine Air Force generals Recipients of the Distinguished Service Star Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Merit (Philippines) Recipients of the Philippine Legion of Honor Ramos administration personnel {{Philippines-mil-bio-stub