25th ID Soldiers Participate in Knowledge Exchange with Armed Forces of the Philippines

Photo By Erin Sherwood | U.S. Army Lt. Col. Darren Musico, Commander of the 25th Infantry Division exercise Salakinib discusses operations with his Filipino counterparts of the 7th Infantry Division, Armed Forces of the Philippines. The knowledge exchange exercise is part of Pacific Pathways, a three month long event where troops practice joint operations with their Filipino counterparts. (Photo by Pfc. Jakeson Fortuna, 7th Infantry Division, Armed Forces of the Philippines.)  

PHILIPPINES

07.29.2016

Story by Sgt. Erin Sherwood 

25th Infantry Division   

Ft. Magsaysay, Philippines-

Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division recently participated in a knowledge exchange with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The exchange was part of an ongoing series of combined exercises with partner nations throughout the Pacific Rim called Pacific Pathways.

Pacific Pathways began in 2014, allowing the U.S. Army to practice deployments at a tactical, operational and strategic level, enhancing readiness and ability across the Pacific.

“It’s been an enlightening experience for me,” said Capt. Joseph Perez, battle captain for the 25th ID. “Many of our processes are the same, it’s just a different way of doing things. It has also been fun working with a new culture and learning about the Armed Force of the Philippines.”

The subject matter exchange centered on daily workshops for Soldiers and their Filipino counterparts. Topics discussed include roles of specific sections; discussion of structure and how it relates to command; and standard operating procedures for different mission sets.

“I have been working with (Perez) to learn about processes as well as other mission command systems so we could share what they have and what we have in order to accomplish future joint missions," said Capt. Kim Ilao, operations officer for 7th Infantry Division, Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The learning is mutual for U.S. and Filipino troops.

“As a staff they are very flexible and capable of working around issues that may be showstoppers for us," said Perez.

“We are adjusting and restructuring quite a bit," said Brig Gen. David Diciano, Commander of 7th Infantry Division, Armed Forces of the Philippines. “I’ve observed that soldiers are sharing a lot of discussions and experience. I hope that we will continue this exchange in the weeks to come.”

• Date Taken: 07.29.2016
• Date Posted: 08.01.2016 22:13
• Story ID: 205750
• Location: PH