U.S. and The Philippines: Two Nations, One Goal for the Pacific

From PACOM News (Oct 20): U.S. and The Philippines: Two Nations, One Goal for the Pacific



CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii - Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Philippines, Gen. Hernando Iriberri, and the Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. Harry Harris Jr., endorse the U.S. and Philippine bilateral calendar for 2016. Gen. Iriberri visited USPACOM to co-chair the Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board with Adm. Harris. Held annually since 1958, the boards provide a venue for strategic discussions on shared security topics. Board members consist of the U.S. and Philippine Service commanders, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, Joint Interagency Task Force- West and the U. S. Coast Guard - Pacific Area. Following the discussions, the co-chairs endorse the bilateral activities for the upcoming year. (Photo by Navy Chief Mass Communication Specialist Holly Gray)

CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii – Each year key members of the U.S. and Armed Forces of the Philippines and government assemble together to build a plan for sustaining their nations’ alliance over the next year. This year, Gen. Hernando Iriberri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Philippines, led a Filipino delegation to Oahu to work out a plan for the coming year. Iriberri and Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., Commander, U.S. Pacific Command at Camp H.M. Smith, served as the senior military representatives for their respective countries to co-chair two boards: the Mutual Defense Board and the Security Engagement Board.

Since 1958, these events have been held annually, alternating between the U.S. and the Philippines. Both boards have the same goal: bring together key military and government personnel to discuss U.S. and Philippine activities for the upcoming year.

The talks are crucial in ensuring the U.S., Philippine alliance is one of the strongest military partnerships in the region surrounding the South China Sea. Prepared to face any threat together, the two nation’s interoperability simply can’t be duplicated. An example of an activity discussed each year is the annual exercise Balikatan, Tagalog for “Shoulder-to-Shoulder.” As the translated name implies, the U.S. and Philippine armed forces work together on a variety of scenarios they could realistically face if a crisis took place in the Philippines. For example, did you know you can start a fire with just bamboo if you had no other resources after a typhoon? That exact scenario is one of the experiences the Philippine Marine Corps shared with U.S. service members during Balikatan 2015.

Balikatan and other military interactions are topics for the Mutual Defense Board. The Security Engagement Board on the other hand discusses what is called non-traditional activities. The accurately named board builds plans for the two nations to work together in the new year, particularly on the topics of humanitarian assistance, disaster response, counter-terrorism and counter-trafficking. Like the U.S., the Philippines Coast Guard and Maritime Police patrol their nation’s coast to deter and detain illegal traffickers and other waterborne criminals. As part of the Security Engagement Board, Joint Interagency-West and the U.S. Coast Guard-Pacific Area plan training opportunities with their Filipino counterparts. As a result of these discussions, U.S. and Philippines groups work together and learn from each other to improve their abilities to detect illegal traffickers and detain them for prosecution.

Like all previous years, this year’s Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board concluded their discussions with a plan for next year. Iriberri and Harris signed the activities agreement, shook hands, and thanked the many men and women from both the U.S. and Philippines Armed Forces and government representatives. Their hard work and dedication ensured another year of exercises, training and engagements that continue to strengthen both nations.



CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii - Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Philippines, Gen. Hernando Iriberri, and the Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. Harry Harris Jr., render honors during a ceremony at the USPACOM headquarters Oct. 19. Gen. Iriberri visited USPACOM to co-chair the Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board with Adm. Harris. Held annually since 1958, the boards provide a venue for strategic discussions on shared security topics. Board members consist of the U.S. and Philippine Service commanders, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, Joint Interagency Task Force- West and the U. S. Coast Guard - Pacific Area. Following the discussions, the co-chairs endorse the bilateral activities for the upcoming year. (Photo by Army Sgt. Charlene Moler)

http://www.pacom.mil/Media/News/tabid/5693/Article/624978/us-and-the-philippines-two-nations-one-goal-for-the-pacific.aspx