The Commander of the US Marine Forces Pacific’s (MARFORPAC), Lieutenant General Lewis A. Craparotta, visited the Philippines from February 16 to 18, highlighting the importance of the US-Philippine alliance to the Indo-Pacific region.
File photo of AFP Chief of staff and former Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen Benjamin Madrigal. (Keith Bacongco / FILE / MANILA BULLETIN)
During his visit, Craparotta met with Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Benjamin Madrigal Jr. and Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) Commandant General Alvin Parreño, where they discussed the U.S. Marine Corps-AFP partnership.
Craparotta then joined Parreño in delivering the 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 Philippine Marine Corps-MARFORPAC Marine to Marine Staff Talks promotes cooperation and interoperability between our 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,” Parreño said.
“These topics 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,” he added.
Craparotta also discussed specific lines of effort outlined by former AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. and Commander of the 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.
“This week we are here to focus on training, readiness, [and] interoperability, not just for today and 2020, but really for the future,” Craparotta said.
“This is a long and lasting critical partnership for the region,” he added.
Craparotta’s visit to the Philippines, his first since taking command of MARFORPAC in August of 2018, reaffirmed the U.S. Marine Corps’ close ties with the PMC.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/02/19/us-marine-commander-stresses-significance-of-us-philippine-alliance-in-indo-pacific/
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