US Marine Commander in the Pacific ends 3-day PH visit

From the Manila Bulletin (Feb 18, 2019): US Marine Commander in the Pacific ends 3-day PH visit

A high-ranking United States Marine official on Monday ended his three-day official visit to the Philippines aimed to strengthen the interoperability between the two countries’ Marine corps as well as the US-Philippine alliance in the Indo-Pacific region.



Usmc United States Marine Corps (PIXABAY / MANILA BULLETIN)

“This week we are here to focus on training, readiness, (and) interoperability, not just for today and 2020, but really for the future,” said Lt. Gen. Lewis Craparotta, commander of the US Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) in a remark marking his visit to the Philippines.

Craparotta met with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Benjamin Madrigal Jr. and Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) Commandant General Alvin Parreño to discuss the US Marine Corps-AFP partnership.

The US marine official said the engagement between the two militaries is a “long and lasting critical partnership for the region.”

Both Craparotta and Parreño delivered their opening remarks at the U.S. Marine Forces Pacific Marine-to-Marine Staff Talks, a bilateral exchange in which members of the U.S. and Philippine Marine Corps discuss opportunities to increase collaboration in the future.

This is the first visit of Craparotta in the Philippines since assuming the command of MARFORPAC in August 2018. He arrived in Manila on February 16.

On the Philippine side, Gen. Parreño emphasized the “Marine to Marine Staff Talks” promotes cooperation and interoperability between the two forces.

“As the warriors from the sea and the crisis response force, we the Marines have always been ready and responsive to address the defense and security challenges of the Pacific region,” the Philippine Marine commandant said.

These topics, he added, “also strengthen the trust and confidence that we have and promotes mutual security interests as well as contributing to global and security, peace security and stability.”

During the talks, Craparotta discussed specific lines of effort outlined by former AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. and Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Philip S. Davidson, which will frame the U.S. and Philippine Marine Corps’ exercises and activities in the future.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/02/18/us-marine-commander-in-the-pacific-ends-3-day-ph-visit/