900 US marines due for ‘Talon Vision’

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — Some 900 US marines are taking part in the "Talon Vision" joint military exercise to be held in three areas from Nov. 1 to 15.

Maj. Allan Ballesteros, Talon Vision spokesman, said the joint exercise will be dominated by the air forces of the two countries, although 800 Filipino Army soldiers will be joining it.

Ballesteros, of the 600th Air Base Wing here, said the American soldiers will be flying in from the US Marine Air Wing homebase in Okinawa, Japan for the war games here, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija and Ternate, Cavite.

The Special Operations Wing of the Philippine Air Force will also actively participate in the exercise.

Ballesteros could not immediately say if the movements of the participating US soldiers would again be restricted for security reasons.

In last year’s Talon Vision exercise here, a senior US military official told reporters that such restrictions were based on the classification of the Philippines as a "high-risk area" amid the global terrorism threat.

US military officials have been meeting with their Filipino counterparts here since last month to prepare for the Talon Vision.

Ballesteros said the US marines are slated to construct more schoolbuildings and basketball courts in communities near the Talon Vision areas.

Twenty US marine engineers began building yesterday a three-classroom schoolbuilding in Barangay Maruglo in Capas, Tarlac, as part of the civic component of Talon Vision. — Ding Cervantes