Manila—Balikatan 2016 (BK 16) began on March 16, when the AFP
started preliminary work on five different school buildings and community
medical engagements. In the coming weeks U.S. forces will join the AFP as they
work shoulder-to-shoulder during these engagements and throughout the exercise.
Balikatan is an annual
Philippine-U.S. military bilateral training exercise that is a signature
element of the Philippine-U.S. alliance focused on a variety of missions to
include humanitarian assistance, maritime law enforcement, and environmental
protection. BK 16 will take place in the Philippines April 4 to 16. The opening
ceremony for BK 16 is scheduled to take place April 4, followed by several
training events throughout the 12-day exercise, and the closing ceremony is
scheduled to be held April 15.
During BK 16, Philippine and
U.S. service members will conduct humanitarian civil assistance projects
throughout Panay and Palawan. Preliminary work on community infrastructure
projects begins at the end of March. BK 16 will demonstrate cooperation and
interoperability between the Philippines and the U.S., consistent with the
Mutual Defense Treaty and Visiting Forces Agreement, as we continue our
commitment to train, share information and provide support to each other
through a range of military operations.
Throughout BK 16, AFP and
U.S. forces will work together to enhance maritime law enforcement throughout
the Philippines in order to meet annual training requirements, and enhance
techniques, tactics, and procedures as a critical part of interoperability of our
forces.
Military service members from
both countries will also conduct combined simulation supported events and
operational events in three main commands of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (Western Command, Northern Luzon Command, and Sothern Luzon
Command), and other major Philippine military camps such as Crow Valley, Fort
Magsaysay, Clark Air Field, Subic Bay, Palawan and Panay to improve their
ability to work together, partnering in capabilities and plan follow-on
operations. One of the main operations for this year’s exercise will be the
implementation of a joint rapid reaction force as part of the distributed
operations in the vicinity of Panay, demonstrating the partnered capability in
rapid response.
BK16 is the 32nd
iteration of the annual exercise. A number of personnel from other regional
partner nations will attend a portion of the exercise.
“Balikatan” in Filipino means
"shoulder-to-shoulder" and characterizes the spirit of the exercise
and the Philippines-U.S. alliance. (US Embassy news)
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