13th Commanding General, PAF
27 March 1976- 01 October 1981
MAJ GEN SAMUEL O SARMIENTO AFP was born in Baguio City on 27 Nov 1923.
He attended his primary and secondary education in his hometown and graduated high school in 1940. He then went to college and finished his Bachelor of Arts at the University of the Philippines. General Sarmiento likewise holds the degree of Masters in National Security Administration from National Defense College of the Philippines in Fort Bonifacio and Master in Business Administration from the Ateneo de Manila University.
His military career started when he was appointed as an aviation cadet of Philippine Air Force Flying School in Fernando Air Base and completed his training in 1949. He then moved to train as a fighter pilot in Basa Air Base and graduated in 1951. He studied Squadron Officer Course twice at Air Force Officers School in 1951 and at US Air Force Service School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, U.S.A., in 1954. While in the U.S., he also took Air-Ground Operations Course in North Carolina. He completed various trainings abroad such as the Jet Qualification Course at Craig Air Force Base in 1956; the Physiological Training Course in Kadena Air Force Base in 1958; and the F-86D Interceptor Course at Perrin Air Force Base in 1960, among others.
General Sarmiento was assigned in various positions such as Military Supervisor of Civil Aviation during the Martial Law period; Wing Commander of 520th Air Base Wing from 01 October 1971 to 18 January 1972; Wing Commander of 100th Training Wing from 18 January to 30 September 1972, Division Commander of the 1st Air Division and concurrent Commander of 5th Fighter Wing from 11 September 1972 to 27 March 1976 and was appointed as Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force from 27 March 1976 to 01 October 1981.
A fighter pilot that has flown all types of aircraft in the Philippine Air Force inventory during his time, General Sarmiento is a recipient of various awards and decorations such as the Distinguished Service Star award, Pacification Campaign Medals, Bronze Cross Medal, Silver Wing Medal, United Nation Service Medal, and PAF “Kahusayan” Award, among others.
He is married to Mrs Frances P Sarmiento with whom he has four children namely John, James (PAFFS ’82), Peter and Aileen.