Colonel Clinton O’Neill has been appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, the Home Affairs Ministry announced on Monday morning.

O’Neill takes the place of Mark Mallia, who held the role for the past few years.

The Ministry said that O’Neill has served in the AFM for the last 29 years and has vast experience particularly in the maritime sector.

In 2016 he was appointed as the Operations Colonel for the Plans and Intelligence Branch within the AFM.

He is also a lecturer at the Maritime Safety and Security Training Centre (MSSTC) where he teaches both local and foreign military personnel about the process of Search and Rescue and Maritime Law in an operational context.