PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines, -- Police officers assigned to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime Group Special Boat Unit conducted a direct action training mission under the instruction of U.S. Army Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha (ODA) operators as part of the Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) West Baker-Piston 14-1 joint counter-narcotics training exercise Aug. 6.
The training was a culmination of approximately three and a half weeks of training where Special Forces operators taught PNP Special Boat Unit officers basic military skills to include planning, small unit tactics, and marksmanship.
"Today started out with the planning sequence, about six to seven hours of planning, and then moved into a target urban environment utilizing close quarter battle (CQB), tactical questioning, and reinforcing the basics of security," said U.S. Army Capt. Rush Vann, U.S. Army Special Forces ODA 9136 detachment commander. "The assault teams move into the building and from there they gather some intelligence that will drive the next target [located at an] island off the coast of Palawan which they will do a squad type assault using live-fire and small unit tactics."
PNP Special Boat Unit officers provided security, cleared rooms, and ultimately arrested a simulated criminal involved with drug related transnational organized crime during the training scenario.
"It helps us a lot," said Police Officer Two Marcelino Nalus PNP Maritime Group Special Boat Unit. "We learned some new [skills] from our U.S. counterparts and we will use everything learned in our future operations."
The U.S. Army Special Forces ODA operators saw the direct action training mission as a success.
"They performed very well," Vann said. "We were very impressed with how the students were able to learn and put into practice what we've taught over the past month."
Vann believes that providing training opportunites for maritime units in the Philippines is beneficial in protecting their borders against illegal activity.
"I think it's very important to have these partnerships with other countries, especially in the Philippines, with the challenges of its terrain, numerous islands and the smuggling corridors that move through these countries," Vann said. "It's important to project their power forward to protect their citizens from any illegal activities. I think the Special Boat Unit is critical to develop that national power to give the citizens a safe area to live."
The mission of JIATF West is to reduce threats in the Asia-Pacific by combating drug related transnational organized crime. The work of JIATF West supports counterdrug efforts of partner nation law enforcement and military units with law enforcement or border security responsibilities.