THE much-deserved appointment of Brigadier General Montano “Rambo” Almodovar as the new commander of the First Scout Ranger Regiment is more than a routine change of command. It is, in. many ways, a homecoming for an officer whose career has been closely associated with some of the Scout Rangers’ most difficult and consequential battles.
Almodovar brings to the regiment the rare credibility of a commander who has led Scout Rangers in actual combat. As commander of the Basilan-based 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion during the 2017 Battle of Marawi, then-Lieutenant Colonel Almodovar led troops in some of the most intense close-quarter engagements of the five-month siege. His battalion was credited with helping clear strategic positions and with the neutralization of key terrorist leaders Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon.
His record in Basilan also demonstrates the complex nature of modern counterterrorism operations. Under his leadership, the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion supported operations that led to the surrender of Abu Sayyaf members, combining combat pressure with intelligence and community engagement. This is important because victory in conflict-affected areas is not measured only by the number of enemies neutralized, but also by the ability to weaken armed groups and persuade their members to return to the fold of the law.
The challenge before Almodovar is not merely to preserve the regiment’s proud legacy but also to prepare it for an increasingly complex security environment. Modern Scout Ranger must remain adaptable, technologically capable, and ready to respond to threats ranging from counterterrorism and urban warfare to emerging national-security threats.
During the change-of-command on July 15, 2026, Almodovar acknowledged this challenge, saying: “While we take pride in our history, we cannot afford to be satisfied with past achievements. The security environment continues to evolve. The challenges before our nation are becoming more complex, and the Scout Rangers must continue to evolve with them. We must preserve our unmatched confidence in special operations while preparing ourselves for future missions.
His greatest test will be to ensure that the Scout Rangers remain what they have always aspired to be: an elite force capable of extraordinary courage and adaptability, guided by disciplined leadership at a time when the nation needs them most.
