Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jered Helwig, commander of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command and...... read more read more
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FORT MAGSAYSAY, Philippines – In a display of cooperation and collective commitment to enhancing interoperability, U.S. Army Soldiers from the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, alongside Philippine soldiers from the Philippine Army’s 51st Engineer Brigade, are working shoulder-to-shoulder to construct a bridge in the Special Forces Regiment training area to kick off Exercise Balikatan 24 at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines on April 22, 2024.
“A bridge is a great metaphor for what we are doing here,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jered Helwig, commander of 8th Theater Sustainment Command. “This project solidifies the work and the great effort that can happen when we come together.”
The training area that the bridge will access is used by special forces as a drop zone when conducting airborne operations. As a result, the project has been named “DZ Bridge” and is expected to take two to three months to complete.
Philippine Army Brig. Gen. Ferdinand Napuli, commander of the Philippine Army Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) expressed his gratitude for the project.
“I'll run out of words to say how thankful we are to have this project,” Napuli said. “The project is very welcomed here.”
The 8th TSC has been conducting projects like this for “Operation Pathways” in partner nations to help build strong relationships and bonds between the U.S. Army and its Indo-Pacific partners and allies.
“It's more than just a project, the partnerships and friendships that will develop from this project will be critical,” said Helwig.
At the conclusion of the groundbreaking ceremony, Helwig surveyed the construction site and gave recognition to Soldiers who distinguished themselves during the preparation for the project, contributing to the U.S. Army's mission of advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific.
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.23.2024 22:14 |
| Story ID: | 469322 |
| Location: | FORT MAGSAYSAY, PH |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Bridging Nations: U.S. and Philippine Armies Begin Balikatan Building Project, by SPC Wyatt Moore, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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