Deputy commander, Jeffrey Curmi.

Outgoing Armed Forces of Malta commander Martin Xuereb will become Malta’s Head Coordinator of Security and Defence, a government spokesman said yesterday.

Although Brig. Xuereb’s last official day of service is November 14, he will start his terminal leave on October 18. Until then, he will be handing over to the newly-appointed deputy commander, Jeffrey Curmi.

Col Curmi is expected to officially become the AFM’s number two today when an internal announcement, known as a general order, is issued.

A spokesman for the Home Affairs Ministry confirmed when contacted yesterday that, on his last day of active service with the AFM, Brig. Xuereb would assume his new role, which was also cleared by the Public Service Commission.

Brig. Xuereb will be posted in Brussels, where he will coordinate security and defence issues in the run-up to Malta’s European Union presidency in 2017.

Contacted yesterday, Brig. Xuereb preferred not to comment on his new post.

Sources said that he would retain his same salary scale. He is retiring from the AFM after 26 years of service.

Col Curmi’s promotion to deputy commander was announced in the Government Gazette on Friday, effective on that same day. He succeeds David Attard who retired from the army after being transferred to the Detention Services following the change of government.

The ministry spokesman said that although Brig. Xuereb would officially start his terminal leave on October 18, he was expected to avail himself of his annual holiday leave before that date.

Once Brig. Xuereb leaves, Col. Curmi will be taking over the day-to-day running of the armed forces. Though technically that does not imply that he will automatically be promoted to commander, he has long been touted as Brig. Xuereb’s successor at the helm.

Col Curmi was among seven army officers who, from majors, were first promoted to lieutenant colonels and then to colonels in the space of two weeks. His promotion to deputy commander was his third in as many weeks.