Courtesy Photo | Capt. Miguel Rodriguez, commander of the Philippine Navy's Fleet-Marine Ready Force,...... read more read more
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By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gabriel S. Weber
III Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs
SUBIC BAY, Philippines — Sailors from Amphibious Squadron Eleven, the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex and amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga attended a welcoming ceremony hosted by the Philippine Navy in preparation for Exercise Balikatan 2009.
The ceremony marked the official start to BK09's at-sea exercise between the U.S. and Philippine navies, part of the bilateral training between U.S. military and the Armed Forces of the Philippines during the exercise.
"Our counterparts in the Philippine Navy extended a warm welcome to us today, and we're as excited as they are about the exercise," said Capt. Donald Schmieley, commanding officer of PHIBRON-11. "This being the 25th in this series of exercises is so vital to maintaining both of our countries' readiness, and we're truly looking forward to taking advantage of every opportunity that we have to work and train together."
During the exercise, Sailors from the U.S. Navy and Philippine navy will work cooperatively during humanitarian and civic assistance projects and naval operations.
"This exercise provides a great opportunity for us to conduct the training that is essential to maintain our readiness and interoperability of the Philippine and U.S. military forces," said Capt. Joseph Peña, commander of Philippine Task Force 80.4. "Balikatan also provides us the opportunity to enhance the foreign relations between the U.S. and Philippine military forces."
Before officially opening the naval portion of the exercise, Capt. Miguel Rodriguez, commander of the Philippine Fleet-Marine Ready Force, spoke of the history of Balikatan and the meaning of the exercises name. In Tagalog, the Philippine native language, the term "Balikatan" means "shoulder to shoulder" and characterizes the philosophy and intent of the exercise.
"Truly, there is no better reflection of Philippine-U.S. relationships today than Balikatan," Rodriguez said. "We may not remember what we did during the early years of Balikatan, but we can never forget the training value that we gain from every Balikatan. We can never forget the good working relationship that has been forged, and especially the personal friendships. That will always be a springboard for better Balikatan exercises in the coming years. We realize that the waters that separate us are the very same waters that connect us."
Exercise Balikatan is an annual combined, joint-bilateral exercise involving U.S. Military and AFP personnel as well as subject-matter experts from Philippine Civil Defense Agencies. BK09 is the 25th in the series of these exercises, directed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and requested by the GRP.
PHIBRON-11 consists of the flagship USS Essex, USS Denver, USS Tortuga and USS Harpers Ferry, and is the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious squadron.
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2009 03:34 |
| Story ID: | 32488 |
| Location: | PH |
| Web Views: | 652 |
| Downloads: | 417 |
This work, Philippine Navy Welcomes Amphibious Squadron Eleven for Exercise Balikatan, by Andrew Milner, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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