Fewer US troops to participate in this year's Balikatan military exercises

MANILA, Philippines - US troops participating in this year’s Balikatan military exercises would be reduced by half because of relief efforts in Japan.

Maj. Enrico Ileto, Armed Forces spokesman for the Balikatan, said they are still determining what exercises would be discontinued. 

“Because of the relief efforts in Japan, we will have to make adjustments in the field training exercises,” he said.

Speaking over radio dzBB yesterday, Ileto said civic projects such as the construction of school buildings will proceed as planned.

“The recent developments will not affect the bilateral training on post-conflict recovery and reconstruction, where we are currently constructing five two-room school buildings in Tarlac and Zambales,” he said.

Construction of the school buildings will be completed by April 15, the last day of the exercises, he added.

Ileto said the military looks forward to the bilateral exercises despite the adjustments. 

“There is a need to reduce some activities especially in the field training exercises but we remain optimistic that we would achieve our overall objective which is to enhance interoperability (among the AFP and US troops),” he said.

The US announced over the weekend that it reduced by 3,000 the number of troops to be deployed to the Balikatan.

It originally planned to send 6,000 soldiers for the bilateral trainings from April 5 to 15.

Some 3,000 US Marines stationed in Japan have remained to assist in the relief effort, according to US press attaché Rebecca Thompson.

The announcement came after the US committed 7,000 soldiers for a three-day massive search and rescue operations in Japan, following a 9.0 quake last March 11.

This year’s Balikatan exercises will mark the 27th time the bilateral trainings are conducted.

The term balikatan is a Filipino word that means “shoulder-to-shoulder” and reflects the intent of the exercise.   

Around 2,000 Filipino soldiers will join the trainings, which will focus on enhancing the interoperability of Filipino and American troops in post-conflict response.

The Philippine contingent will consist of elite forces, civil-military units, engineering units from all the major services, K9 units, members of the military police and infantry battalions and medical units, Ileto said.

The soldiers are expected to- mount disaster rehabilitation and rural development projects which include the engineering civic action program, medical action program, dental civic action program, veterinary civic action program and community relations activities.    

Exercises would be held simultaneously in Palawan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, and Cavite City.