2 US marines hurt in ‘Talon Vision’

Two US marines who took part in the Talon Vision military exercise with Filipino troops were seriously injured in separate accidents at the Philippine Marine base in Ternate, Cavite last week.

One fell off a cliff and suffered a back injury, and the other had a bad fall down a mountain and experienced brain swelling that required emergency surgery, said US military spokesman Capt. Dennis Williams.

The two soldiers, whose names were not given, were airlifted to the Makati Medical Center for treatment, said US marine Col. Steven Busby, co-director of Talon Vision. They are expected to remain under medical care for another two weeks, he added.

A Sgt. Mike Renner, reached at the Talon Vision operation center, said he heard the injured men were recovering.

Some 900 US marines at Clark Field and in two other areas have started to leave with their 20 modern aircraft after two weeks of joint military exercises.

The bilateral exercises were also held at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija and involved 800 Filipino soldiers, who took part in live firing at the Crow Valley range in Sacobia, Tarlac, said Talon Vision spokesman Maj. Allan Ballesteros.

Brig. Gen. Charles Hotchkiss, commander of the 600th Air Base Wing, said while the Americans had familiarized the Filipino soldiers in the use of modern aircraft and artillery, the Filipinos were able to impart their skills in jungle warfare to the US soldiers.

The US military was reported to have spent some $280,000 for the exercises, and another $70,000 for civic-medical missions in communities near the training site. The $280,000 was also largely funneled into the local economy through the hiring of service vehicles, lodging, food and other basic needs for US troops

The US marines turned over yesterday to Capas, Tarlac Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan a new school building which they had built in Sitio Maruglo, where they also helped rehabilitate an observation post for the PAF at Clark Air Base.

The soldiers were part of more than 800 US marines and sailors, mostly based in Okinawa, Japan, who took part in the ground-air maneuvers that ended Monday. — Ding Cervantes, AP