U.S. Marines, with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, load onto a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 268, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, during a joint, bilateral, littoral campaign with Philippine Marines with Battalion Landing Team 10 during Balikatan 23 on Basco, Philippines, April 24, 2023. The littoral campaign took place over three days, during which the joint and bilateral force secured key maritime terrain on three islands in the Luzon Strait. Balikatan 23 the 38th iteration of the annual bilateral exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. Military. The exercise includes three weeks of training focused on amphibious operations, command and control, humanitarian assistance, urban operations and counterterrorism skills throughout northern and western Luzon. Coastal defense training figures prominently in the Balikatan 23 training schedule. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Grace Gerlach)
Philippine and U.S. Marines conduct bilateral training alongside the joint force during Balikatan 23 in the Philippines, April 10-28, 2023. Balikatan, Tagalog for ‘shoulder-to-shoulder,’ is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. BK23 is the 38th iteration of the annual exercise and included three weeks of training focused on amphibious operations, command and control, humanitarian assistance, urban operations and counterterrorism skills throughout northern and western Luzon. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Noah J. Masog)
Civil affairs teams made up of U.S. Marines, U.S. Army Soldiers, and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines conducted civil military operations throughout the Philippines April 10 – 28, 2023, as part of Balikatan 23.
Civil military operations allow U.S. commanders to gain an increased understanding of what kind of impact their decisions have on the local populace from the perspective of those who would be affected. This understanding of the civil environment is vital to making informed decisions that respect the citizens of the Philippines while ensuring that the Philippine-U.S. security alliance is strengthened through the tough, realistic training of Balikatan 23.
The civil affairs teams gain understanding of their...
