|
CLARK FREEPORT: The Armed Forces of the Philippines
and the US military will conduct joint military exercises, community
outreach programs and aircraft exhibits at the “Talon Vision
Exercises” starting October 15, officials of the 600th Air Base
Wing Command of the Philippine Air Force announced.
Col. Alejandro Camagay Jr., new
commander of the 600th Air Base Wing, said this year’s activities
will not only focus on military and civic works but will showcase 40
jet planes and modern helicopters. The aircraft exhibit will be open
to the public on October 20 and 21.
Camagay announced the formal
opening of the joint RP-US military joint exercises at the regular
meeting of the Metro Clark Advisory Council on Wednesday.
The council is chaired by CDC
President Liberato Laus and co-chaired by Mayor Marino Morales of
Mabalacat. The council is composed of the mayors of Porac, Magalang,
Angeles City, Mabalacat and Mexico in Pampanga, and of Capas, Bamban
and Concepcion in Tarlac, along with executives and directors of the
Clark Development Corp.
The Talon Vision and Amphibious
Landing Exercises will “improve interoperability between US forces
and the Armed Forces of the Philippines and increase readiness and
strengthen the professional relationships between the two
countries.”
About 6,500 Filipino and American
soldiers are expected to take part in the exercises, which will run
from October 15 to 31. More than 2,000 US soldiers will be deployed
in Clark Air Base, Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga, Fort
Magsaysay, Nueva Ecjia, and in Subic Bay, Zambales.
“Community outreach projects”
are also scheduled, including the painting of classrooms and repair
of schoolbuildings in the Olongapo-Subic Bay area.
Among the participants from the
US military are the US Marines from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary
Unit, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force from Okinawa, Japan, and US
sailors from the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group, Task Force 76,
from Sasebo, Japan, will participate in both ground-air and naval
integration training with the Philippine Armed Forces.
--Mark Louie P. Roxas
|
