PHL, US soldiers share expertise in 'Balikatan' Exercise 2014 in Albay

From the Philippine News Agency (May 8): PHL, US soldiers share expertise in 'Balikatan' Exercise 2014 in Albay

In more than two weeks of working together in the "Balikatan" Exercise 2014 humanitarian mission in Albay, soldiers of the United States and the Philippines have shared and developed not only friendship but also expertise and ingenuity.

Lance Corporal Cristin Cosby, 24, based in Okinawa, Japan, and the lone lady in the US Marine troops currently stationed in Barangay Malobago here, involved in humanitarian mission projects in Albay, shared her expertise to her Filipino counterpart in construction works here.

The tall and smart Cosby has been working side-by-side with Philippine Army Staff Sergeant Romeo Bolo, 41, of the 565th Engineering Battalion under the command of Captain Lloyd Brian Paler based in Camp Wene Martillana in Camarines Sur, in constructing a school classroom in this remote village of Guinobatan town since last month.

Cosby and Bolo, along with their fellow soldiers from the United States Armed Forces (USAF) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), are working together under the scorching heat of the sun to finish the construction of school classrooms two weeks from now.

“This is my first humanitarian engagement in my military career -- working in a humanitarian mission in Philippines where I learned the ingenuity of and so many things from the members of the AFP,” Cosby confessed with a smile while resting for a moment after delivering gravel and sand to her co-workers at the site in charge of mixing them with cement.

Strong, the lady marine can climb to the top of the building being constructed faster than her male counterparts.

She added, “It’s a great experience doing this mission as I learned so many things from our Filipino counterparts. We shared our expertise and I learned a lot from the ingenuity of Philippine Army soldiers in construction works suited for place that is often hit by natural calamities.”

Her counterpart, Bolo, a veteran of military’s engineering works, said he, too, learned a lot from the expertise of the US soldiers working for the RP-US Balikatan 2014 humanitarian mission.

“We do not only share creativity but also exchanged military techniques -- and jokes,” he said.

The USAF poured in at least US$ 250,000 for the mission’s construction projects which include renovation of the Tamaoyan Elementary School, construction of a comfort room in Barangay Pawa, construction of classrooms and a health clinic in Malobago, and construction of classrooms at the Mercedes Elementary School.

The RP-US Balikatan humanitarian civic assistance projects are being done in the town of Guinobatan and in Legazpi City -- both in Albay, allowing members from the AFP as well as the USAF to contribute positive impact on local communities.

The United States government, through the USAF, has temporarily deployed its soldiers stationed in Japan, Korea, Hawaii, Guam and California, USA, for a month-long humanitarian mission in Albay province.

The Balikatan Exercise is a 30-year-old bilateral exercise between the AFP and the USAF focusing on the Humanitarian Civic Assistance Program and Cooperative Health Engagement in the countryside.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=641721