US troops arrive for Balikatan ’06
CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — Some 5,500 US soldiers started arriving here for the forthcoming 22nd annual RP-US Balikatan military exercise which will be held in Luzon and Mindanao.
US Marine Capt. Burrell Parmer, spokesman of the US contingent, said the US military has allocated some $245,000 for the two-week military exercise in the Philippines.
Parmer said batches totalling 2,500 started arriving two weeks ago in time for the Balikatan war games which last from Feb. 20 to March 5 and 3,000 more are expected to arrive over the next few days.
Parmer said the US troops will conduct simultaneous military trainings with some 2,800 troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Cebu, Luzon, and Sulu.
He said some 400 US troops are already in Jolo, Sulu for 11 engineering, civil service and medical missions.
Parmer also said US and RP military officials have planned 37 joint military exercise for this year under the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
The US embassy in Manila said in a statement that the military exercise will be structured to further develop the AFP in crisis action planning, enhancing its ability to effectively conduct counterterrorism operations, and promote interoperability between participating countries.
The exercise demonstrates US resolve, consistent with the Mutual Defense Treaty and VFA, to train, advise and assist the AFP in cooperation with the Philippine government, the embassy said.
The exercise will consist of combined task force (CTF) staff exercise, cross-training and field interoperability exercises and humanitarian and civic assistance, which will improve RP-US military civic action cooperation and train civil-military personnel to work together with a focus on civic assistance. Rendy Isip - Manila Standard
US Marine Capt. Burrell Parmer, spokesman of the US contingent, said the US military has allocated some $245,000 for the two-week military exercise in the Philippines.
Parmer said batches totalling 2,500 started arriving two weeks ago in time for the Balikatan war games which last from Feb. 20 to March 5 and 3,000 more are expected to arrive over the next few days.
Parmer said the US troops will conduct simultaneous military trainings with some 2,800 troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Cebu, Luzon, and Sulu.
He said some 400 US troops are already in Jolo, Sulu for 11 engineering, civil service and medical missions.
Parmer also said US and RP military officials have planned 37 joint military exercise for this year under the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
The US embassy in Manila said in a statement that the military exercise will be structured to further develop the AFP in crisis action planning, enhancing its ability to effectively conduct counterterrorism operations, and promote interoperability between participating countries.
The exercise demonstrates US resolve, consistent with the Mutual Defense Treaty and VFA, to train, advise and assist the AFP in cooperation with the Philippine government, the embassy said.
The exercise will consist of combined task force (CTF) staff exercise, cross-training and field interoperability exercises and humanitarian and civic assistance, which will improve RP-US military civic action cooperation and train civil-military personnel to work together with a focus on civic assistance. Rendy Isip - Manila Standard
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