US troops learn how to skin snakes, lizards

It’s not exactly fine dining, but it’s jungle-gourmet fare: open-fire roasted pythons and bayawak (monitor lizards). Or, if the catch is poor, frogs. All especially done Aeta-style.

In the survival training phase of the RP-US Balance Piston military exercises conducted at Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan — the headquarters of the First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSRR) — US Army soldiers are being taught how to survive in the jungle by eating indigenous crops and creatures of the tropical forest.

Site of the joint military exercise is the forested area of San Miguel. Subsistence on exotic fare is part of the jungle survival training the Scout Rangers are conducting for 12 US Army troopers from the 1st Special Forces Group based in Washington.

The American troopers were taught how to snare snakes, lizards and other small animals using only their combat bootstrings and bamboo sticks.

After catching the slippery animals, which were provided by Filipino instructors, the US Green Berets were taught how to skin the reptiles, disembowel them, skewer and then cook them over open fire.

The troopers, some of whom saw action in the 1991 Gulf War, were visibly squeamish at the sight of disemboweled frogs and lizards. But they had to eat their catch, too.

And how did the US soldiers like their barbecues?

"Tastes like chicken," said one trooper after eating roasted snake. "Snakes are good for adobo," said his Filipino instructor.

US Army Maj. Kevin Colyer, head of the US contingent, remarked: "I learned a lot of good things about survival training, the good things to eat."

Col. Danilo Lim, deputy commander of the FSRR, said survival training is normal for Army Scout Rangers, who are known to stay hidden in the jungles for weeks during operations against rebels and bandits.

Colyer described Philippine troops as "very professional, disciplined and well trained and motivated," adding "they just need more equipment."

Balance Piston, which began last month and ends on Friday, is an annual army-to-army exercise on small unit tactics, close quarter combat and combat trauma involving special operations forces of both countries.

This year’s exercise involves 36 US troops and 90 Philippine soldiers. It is also being conducted at the headquarters of the Armed Forces Special Operations Command at Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija.

"Balance Piston, a separate and distinct training from that of the RP-US Balikatan exercise currently being conducted in Mindanao, intends to test the inter-operability of Filipino and US forces and establish a firm basis for possible joint military operations in the future," Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jose Mabanta said.