official website of the Armed Forces of Malta

Commander Armed Forces of Malta:
Brigadier Martin G. Xuereb, AFM

Born in Malta on 2nd January 1968, Brigadier Martin G. Xuereb was commissioned into the Regular Force of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) in the rank of Second Lieutenant in October 1988, having attended the Allievi Ufficiali di Complemento (AUC) course at the “Scuola di Fanteria e Cavalleria” in Cesano, Italy where he was an “Allievo Scelto”

As a Second Lieutenant, he qualified as an Instructor in Physical Education at the Military School of Physical Education in Orvieto, Italy.

In 1990, Brigadier Xuereb successfully completed the Commissioning Course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, where he was awarded the “Oman Prize” for academic achievement.

In 1991/92, as a Lieutenant, he commanded a platoon and, in 1993, he was appointed as Staff Officer III Personnel within Headquarters AFM. As a Captain, in 1996 he was posted to Brussels as Malta’s Defence Attaché and Representative to the Partnership Coordination Cell of NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP).

On his return to Malta in 1997, he was appointed Adjutant at 1st Regiment AFM. Subsequently in year 2000, and by then a Major, he was attached to the Maltese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and posted to Brussels as the Attaché for Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).

Upon Malta’s accession to the European Union (EU), in May 2004 he was appointed as Malta’s Deputy Military Representative to the EU, a post he held up to January 2006 when, after being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he was appointed as Military Representative to the EU.  At the time, he was also Malta’s Point of Contact to the European Defence Agency in Brussels.

On November 2nd, 2007, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and was subsequently appointed as the AFM’s Deputy Commander on January 9th, 2008. Between January and December 2009, he was a Member of the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) in the United Kingdom.

On November 2nd, 2007, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and was subsequently appointed as the AFM’s Deputy Commander on January 9th, 2008. Between January and December 2009, he was a Member of the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) in the United Kingdom.

Upon his return from the UK on 18 January 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier, and assumed command of the AFM.

Brigadier Xuereb holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Social Sciences with Politics from the UK’s Open University. In 2009, as a Member of the RCDS, he also completed a course of study leading to a Masters degree in International Relations with Kings College, London.

Brigadier Xuereb is married to Daniella, and has two sons.