Philippines, U.S. hold "Shoulder to Shoulder" military exercises

The "Shoulder to Shoulder" (Local name: Balikatan) exercises begins in locations in five provinces of the Philippines on Monday, involving 11,500 Filipino and U.S. military personnel. "The 31st iteration of Balikatan Exercise aims to enhance interoperability not only for combined operations among Philippines, U.S. and Australian armed forces, but also for the joint operations capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to conduct effectively the mission areas in Internal Security Operations (ISO), territorial defense, Humanitarian Assistance and Development Response (HADR) and peacekeeping operations,"military spokesman Brig. Gen. Joselito Kakilala said in a press statement.

During the 10-day exercises, 5,000 Filipino troops and 6,500 U. S. servicemen will also build school buildings and related facilities in the communities hosting the war games.

There will also be training held for first responders and seminars to upgrade knowledge in community health nursing, common diseases during disasters and maintaining healthy lifestyles.

As part of the HADR program, there will be a structural assessment of air and sea ports in the provinces of Capiz, Aklan and Iloilo that were damaged during Typhoon "Haiyan" (locally known as "Yolanda"),' according to the Philippine Department of National Defense. Endi