Thursday, April 30, 2015

Balikatan 2015 beefs up professional skills of Filipino, American soldiers

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 30): Balikatan 2015 beefs up professional skills of Filipino, American soldiers

With Balikatan 2015 officially concluded Thursday, ranking Filipino defense officials have expressed that the two-week training exercises have improved the professional skills of both Philippine and American militaries.

This was stressed by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin's closing message, which was read by Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino, at Clark Air Force Base, Pampanga.

"Let me also congratulate all the officers and men from both our armed forces for their participation in this exercise, I am certain that this training program has improved our professional skills in various aspects and facets of our combined and joint military operational endeavors," he stressed.

In the same vein, he also conveyed his congratulations to the exercise directors of Balikatan 2015, Lt. Gen. John Toolan for the United States and Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez for the Philippines for ably leading the successful conduct of this combined military exercise and for the attainment of the operational goals of both armed forces.

Around 11,600 Filipino and American personnel participated in the annual Balikatan exercises which started last April 20.

"I am confident that you have enjoyed training together under the spirit of mutual friendship, camaraderie, and cooperation, i have no doubt that true to the meaning of Balikatan you now carry with you the rare professional experience of training and working shoulder to shoulder with friends and allies, the real experience and professional knowledge that you have derived from this training activity will surely rebound to the enhancement of your expertise in combined planning, combat readiness and interoperability, but beyond the enhancement of capacities," Gazmin concluded.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=757749

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