Balikatan is the
Filipino word for "shouldering the load together," and that's
exactly what participants did during the joint and combined Exercise BALIKATAN
2001, held from 26 April to 10 May 2001 in the Republic of the Philippines
(RP). RP and U.S. military personnel from all branches of service,
working shoulder-to-shoulder in the heat and the rain, cross-trained in
military operations such as air rescue, amphibious operations, close air
support, small arms training, and staging support. They also built
and renovated schools and provided much-needed dental, medical, and veterinary
services for barangays near Clark International Airport. Barangays
are basic Philippine political units for planning and implementing government
policies, programs and activities in the community.
BALIKATAN 2001 provided joint/ combined training to improve combat readiness
against an external attack on the Philippines, as covered by the1952 Mutual
Defense Treaty between the Republic of the Philippines and the United
States.
BALIKATAN is part of the Exercise TEAM CHALLENGE series. Designed as an
umbrella exercise, TEAM CHALLENGE's goal is to improve combat readiness
and interoperability by tying together joint combined exercises with Thailand,
Philippines, Singapore and other interested countries. BALIKATAN 2001
incorporated TEAM CHALLENGE scenarios, such as training in peacekeeping,
humanitarian and civic-assistance operations. TEAM CHALLENGE 2001
incorporated two other phases, Exercise TANDEM THRUST with the Australian
Defence Forces and Exercise COBRA GOLD with the Royal Thai Armed Forces
and Republic of Singapore Armed Forces. Although the BALIKATAN 2001
phase of TEAM CHALLENGE remained largely bilateral, it opened the door
for multilateral operations in the future.
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| Philippine and U.S. Marines assault Ternate Beach during the amphibious phase of Exercise BALIKATAN 2001. |
BALIKATAN 2001 began 26 April with formal ceremonies at the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Camp Aguinaldo. Philippine Vice President and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teofisto Guingona welcomed the American forces with these words, "Our relationship with the United States is borne out of longtime friendship and partnership that remains steadfast ...over 100 years. We are committed to a new page in Philippine-American relations - one founded on equality and mutual respect. We want to share better experiences, so that we can promote a more meaningful peace in the years ahead."
Gen. Diomedio Villanueva, AFP Chief of Staff; Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes; and Maj. Gen. Alan Johnson, Commander, U.S. Army 9th Theater Support Command, took part in the ceremony. The exercise co-directors were Philippine Col. Roberto Nuqui and U.S. Col. Kirk Miyake.
Exercise events began 27 April. Participants in a combined joint seminar, held 27 April to 3 May, addressed crisis-action planning followed by a practical exercise. They focused on peacekeeping and noncombatant evacuation operations in conformity with the TEAM CHALLENGE concept.
The various services of the two nations also began field training 27 April. The cross-training in various tactics, techniques and procedures represented the type of combined operations that would occur if the two nations were to work together in a contingency operation.
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