By Priam Nepomuceno

SERVICE TO COUNTRY. Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos Edriel Yulo (left) and Naval Reserve Command chief Marine Maj. Gen. Joseph Ferrous Cuison during Yulo’s oath-taking rites at the PN headquarters at Naval Station Jose Andrada, Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2024). The Olympic gold medalist joined the PN Reserve Force and was given the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Navy)

MANILA – Double Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo formally joined the Philippine Navy (PN) Reserve Force.

In a news release, Navy spokesperson Commander John Percie Alcos said Yulo took his oath in simple rites presided by Naval Reserve Command head Maj. Gen. Joseph Ferrous Cuison, who represented Navy chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr., at the PN headquarters in Naval Station Jose Andrada, Roxas Boulevard, Manila on Tuesday.

The star gymnast was given the Petty Officer 1st Class (PO1) rank.

“I am proud to have the privilege of being enlisted in the Philippine Navy Reserve Force, a recognition I never expected in my lifetime. Wearing this Navy uniform fills me with immense pride. With all my heart, I thank the PN for this prestigious recognition. I will uphold its core values and inspire today’s youth, showing them that through sports, they too can serve our country,” Yulo said.

Adaci commended Yulo for joining the PN Reserve Force and for his dedication, which resulted in his double gold victory in the men’s gymnastics floor exercise and vault event of the recently concluded Summer Games.

“Your dedication, discipline, and drive made you a champion on the world stage, and now, you bring those same qualities to the PN. We know that when you commit to something, you give it your all. I am confident you will do the same as a reservist, standing alongside men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting and uplifting our nation,” Adaci said in his message read by Cuison. (PNA)