Colonel Clinton O’Neill has been appointed Brigadier and Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, the Ministry of National Security announced on Tuesday.

O’Neill will replace former Captain Jeffrey Curmi who has retired and is now CEO of Transport Malta.

The ministry has also appointed Colonel Edric Zahra as Deputy Commander to replace Colonel Mark Mallia, who has been appointed to a new position at Identity Malta.

The appointments were made by National Security Minister Byron Camilleri.

O’Neill joined the AFM in 1992 and was a pilot in the Army Air Wing, which he later led. In 2013, O’Neill was awarded the Medal for Service to the Republic on behalf of the AFM Air Wing.

He most recently headed the Operations, Plans and Intelligence Branch at Army Headquarters. O’Neill was also part of Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard agency.

During his career, he was involved in overseas operations as part of a mobile training team that served in Senegal, Israel and Libya. As part of the EU’s joint Operation Nettuno, it also served in Lampedusa and Sicily.

Colonel Zahra joined the AFM in 1999 and for the past five years has led the first AFM regiment.

He has specialized training in boarding techniques and served as a platoon commander in C-Company.