First lady commander leads Philippine mission to Haiti

MANILA, Philippines - For the first time in history, a female commander is heading a contingent of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations.

Philippine Navy Captain Luzviminda Camacho will lead a unit to be deployed to Haiti on Tuesday to provide perimeter security to the UN Force Headquarters in Port-au-Prince.

Camacho's 12-man team will assist in the UN's stabilization mission in the country still in the clutches of a transitional government following an armed conflict between government and insurgents in 2004.

The unit will aid the UN by providing administrative and logistics clerical service, operating military vehicles, and providing security for VIPs and other personalities.

The contingent is expected to serve their tour in Haiti for six to nine months.

A send-off ceremony for the 17th all-Navy contingent will be led by Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano at the the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.

Besides her new assignment, Camacho recently made history as the first female officer who commanded a warship.

"It's very different when you are trusted to ensure national security. Of course your family will always be important, but as members of the military, you also have to prioritize your duties to the country," she said in a television interview in March.