2,700 US troops to arrive for war games

Around 2,700 US Marines are expected to arrive in the country in the next few days for two joint military exercises that will begin Oct. 15.

Navy Ensign Rommel Rodriguez, public affairs officer for the joint US-RP Phiblex and Talon Vision exercises, said that the two-week war games would involve troops from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Unit (3rd MEU) and the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

The US troops will arrive in the country on USS Juneau, USS Tortuga and USS Essex.

“The objective of the exercises is to emphasize that bilateral training is vital in maintaining readiness and capabilities for both US and Philippine troops, and to emphasize the importance of counter-terrorism training,” Rodriguez said.

He said about 2,000 Filipino soldiers would take part in the bilateral exercises, which would involve amphibious landing, airborne operations, convoy operations, jungle survival and some civil-military projects such as medical and dental missions and rehabilitation of school buildings.

Rodriguez said the exercises would be held at Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac, Clark Field in Pampanga, Subic, Zambales and Ternate, Cavite. There will also be civic projects in Laguna.

He said Talon Vision is traditionally considered ground-air integrated training, but can be tailored to accommodate the training requirements of the units involved.

Phiblex 08, on the other hand, is a bilateral training exercise conducted with units from the 3rd Marine expeditionary force and the Philippine Marines.  

Rodriguez said the joint exercise is in accordance with bilateral agreements signed between the US and the Philippines.   – James Mananghaya