Joint RP-US Marines exercises start in Cavite, Manila

By Ronron
July 1, 2005

The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) will start on Monday their joint training exercises to be held in Cavite and Manila "to improve the interoperability and combat readiness of both forces and enhance professional relationships."

Capt. Rommel Abrau, Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) Public Information Officer, said the PMC-USMC Interoperability Exercise ’05 and Philippine Subject Matter Expert Exchange ’05 was formally opened yesterday (Friday) at the Basic School parade ground of the Marine Base Ternate in Ternate, Cavite.

Around 500 from the PMC and more than 100 from the USMC will be participating in the activity that is expected to end on July 21, 2005.

Abrau disclosed that while the Engineering Civic Assistance Project (ENCAP) component of the activity had already started last June 25, the training proper will only begin this coming Monday at the Marine Base Ternate and the Marine Barracks Manila at Fort Bonifacio in Makati City.

Aside from ENCAP, the exercise also include the following components: Medical Civic Assistance Project (MEDCAP), Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE), Weapons Live-Fire Training, Staff Exercise (Staff-Ex) / Command Post Exercise (CPX), Explosive Ordnance Demolition (EOD) Training, USMC Combat Engineering Organization brief, Small Unit Leadership Lessons Learned Exchange, (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) Warfare Training, Force Protection Training, Communications Training, Maintenance Processes and Procedures Training, Logistics Planning, and Medical Training.

Abrau said the MEDCAP and ENCAP activities are the scheduled humanitarian/civil military operations.

The MEDCAP, which will be held on July 4th and 8th, 2005, will provide free medical check-up and medicines to the residents of Sapang Uno and San Juan villages in Ternate, Cavite.

The ENCAP, on the other hand, is an engineering project designed to improve local infrastructure. It is expected to wrap up on July 18th.

As regards the training proper component, Abrau said the Staff-Ex / CPX will be held at the Marine Barracks Manila while the rest field training exercises will be at the Marine Base Ternate.

Col. Ariel Querubin of the PMC is the Exercise Director, while Maj. Ted Veggeberg from the USMC temporarily heads the US contingent that has begun arriving in batches last June 23.

Abrau said the budget of US$50,000 for the training activity will be shouldered by the PMC from the Philippine Navy’s training fund, and will be reimbursed afterwards by the USMC.

The exercise is covered by the 1951 RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty, while the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) will govern the conduct of US armed forces personnel who are taking part in the said exercise.

"The amount that will be expended by the US forces is immaterial in comparison to the tangible benefits like the proficiency and skills acquired from the US counterparts or the civil military projects that will remain after they will leave. More important are the intangibles – the mutual trust, respect, understanding and friendship this exercise will foster among the participants," Abrau quoted Querubin to have said of the exercise./DMS