After three years, US troops return to Capas to finish construction of schoolbuilding

After three long years, Philippine and United States Marines aboard several military vehicles entered a remote village in Capas, Tarlac to complete an unfinished mission.

Upon arriving in Barangay Marruglo yesterday, the Marines swiftly moved to fix their target — the Maruglo Elementary School.

The Maruglo Elementary School was built by US Marines then participating in the 2003 Talon Vision joint war exercises to the delight of the community.

Residents already considered the construction of a new elementary school as a blessing, but the Marines appeared to be unsatisfied.

Yesterday, the Filipino and American soldiers returned, not armed with the most advanced lethal weapons, but with a comprehensive improvement plan for the schoolbuilding.

"The plan improvements are repairs, painting of the school building, installing an electric meter and installing a new playground equipment," Capt. Burrell D. Parmer, US Talon Vision spokesman, said in a statement.

Aside from a new playground, US and Philippine Marines also conducted landscaping around the school yard, he added.

The soldiers also donated a computer printer, school supplies, swing set, bookshelves and landscaping equipment to the school.

In 2003, Filipino and US Marines constructed an additional classroom, a multi-purpose room and a basketball court at the Maruglo Elementary School.

"This school visit by the Philipine and US forces is one of approximately 20 community visits that will be conducted on Luzon and Palawan during the exercises which are taking place through Oct. 31," Parmer said.

Relatedly Philippine and US Marines in the joint military exercises, successfully completed a two-day air package, honing their parachuting skills and airdrop delivery held at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

The two-day air military execises also allowed Filipino troops to jump from a military aircraft involved in the air-to-ground delivery of supplies and logistics.

"Our mission was to practice re-supplying ground units via air delivery," said 1Lt. Dan Hinkson, Combat Logistic Company-38 (CLC-38) air delivery platoon commander.