After 11 years, American soldiers return to Subic

After an absence of more than 11 years, hundreds of American soldiers arrived at the former US naval base at Subic Bay in Zambales yesterday in time for the formal opening today of the joint RP-US "Balikatan 02-2" military exercises.

Vice President and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teofisto Guingona is expected to lead the opening ceremonies which will be held at the Tejeros Hall of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Commissioned Officers’ Club at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Also expected at the opening rites are Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, AFP chief Gen. Diomedio Villanueva, US Lt. Gen. Wallace Gregson, commander of the Third US Marine Expeditionary Force, and Balikatan 02-2 co-directors Army Col. Horacio Lactao and US Marine Col. Brendan Kearney.

US Marine Lt. Neil Peterson, a spokesman for the war games’ joint information bureau, said the US transport ship WestPac Express arrived at the Subic Bay Freeport before noon and unloaded 624 more soldiers.

About 1,800 American soldiers are already in Luzon with 900 more expected to arrive in the coming days, Peterson said, adding that the administrative and support base of the US forces will be set up at Clark Field in Pampanga, another former US military facility.

The new arrivals, mostly based in Okinawa, Japan, will proceed to the military training camp Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija for training in small-unit infantry leadership and jungle warfare.

Peterson’s counterpart Navy Lt. Mary Nancy Pastor said the 2,700 US troops will be joined by some 2,900 Filipino soldiers in six different exercises to be held at Fort Magsaysay; the firing range at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac; and the Marine base in Ternate, Cavite.

Pastor stressed that the six war games are part of regular annual exercises planned well before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the US and are separate from the ongoing "Balikatan 02-1," which is a counter-terrorist training program against Abu Sayyaf extremists in Basilan.

She said Balikatan 02-2 is the 17th in a series of exercises that started in 1981 pursuant to the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty.

The officials said 12 to 15 more US military aircraft are also expected to arrive to join some 24 aircraft, including four F-18 fighter jets, which are already in Luzon for the exercises which will last from today to May 6.

The USS Fort MacHenry, a landing ship for 500 men, will also participate in joint amphibious maneuvers and conduct shipboard training for Filipino soldiers.

The Fort MacHenry is set to arrive at Pier 13 at Manila’s South Harbor at about 4 p.m. today before proceeding to Ternate.

In a statement, the joint information bureau said "US forces are expected to gain immensely from the Philippine counterparts in terms of planning and coordination in the combined civil-military event where they will embark on a series of civic assistance missions such as medical, dental and engineering activities in the depressed areas of Cavite."

Peterson estimated the US would spend some $1 million for such civil projects as well as for other operational needs during the war exercises.

"For the Philippine Navy, the amphibious exercise will provide them familiarization of US naval equipment, systems and processes," the statement read.

Maj. Elmer Quiros, of the joint information bureau, said the exercises are also part of a "long-term training strategy so that in the next five years, we will be able to develop a joint task force so that Filipino troops would be abreast with the present trend of international deployment, like peacekeeping forces," Quiros said.

Peterson said US troops would be allowed to leave their bases during lulls in the exercises but would only be allowed to go to pre-approved nightspots, mostly located along Fields avenue near Clark’s main gate at Barangay Balibago in Angeles City. - With reports from Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez, Roel Pareño