Philippine, U.S. Chaplains present HADR trainees with disaster kits

Photo By Master Sgt. Nashaunda Tilghman | U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jon Conroe, chaplain with U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, offers a prayer during a community event in support of Balikatan 2017 at Camp Dela Cruz in Upi, Gamu, May 12, 2017. Community events allow Philippine and U.S. service members to prepare local communities for possible natural disasters. Balikatan is an annual U.S.-Philippine bilateral military exercise focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Nashaunda Tilghman)  

CAMP DELA CRUZ, PHILIPPINES

05.12.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Christopher McCullough 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific

CAMP DELA CRUZ, Uni, Gamu – Philippine Soldiers from the 5th Infantry Division and U.S. Soldiers from the 448th Civil Affairs Battalion, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, presented humanitarian assistance and disaster relief kits to first responders from Isabela, Cagay, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino provinces, May 12, 2017.

Chaplains from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific presented first responders with supplies that may be used during a recovery operation in the wake of a disaster.

"So these disaster kits, which have a number of different things, they can take back with them and use them when they need to be first responders when another [disaster] occurs," said U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Hendricks, force chaplain, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific.

AFP and U.S. forces distributed the HADR kits, which contained protective eyewear, ponchos, flashlights, dust masks, safety vests, and emergency radios, along with other emergency items, at this year's Balikatan exercise.

“We worked closely with the [448th] Civil Affairs Group from the U.S. Army to support their efforts, so that rather than just giving the volunteers the [disaster relief] training, we could give them the training and give them the very tools that they'll need to respond to any disaster," said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jon Conroe, deputy force chaplain, MARFORPAC.

By training for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, U.S. and Philippine forces are better prepared to provide relief to remote areas of the Philippines.

Service members presented the kits to the first responders after a closing ceremony recognizing the culmination of three days of disaster response training administered by both the Philippine and U.S. militaries.

• Date Taken: 05.12.2017
• Date Posted: 05.15.2017 04:36
• Story ID: 233817
• Location: CAMP DELA CRUZ, PH