Crow Valley Live-Fire Training
In Crow Valley, Philippine Marines and soldiers jumped from a Light Armored Vehicle (LAV), ran side by side in formation, and engaged targets in the distance. Live-fire training is nothing new to the Philippine servicemen. Riding in LAVs is nothing new to them either. The difference this time was that the U.S. Marines operated their LAVs across Crow Valley and provided cover fire with the LAVs’ M242 25mm chain gun and M240 7.62mm machine gun, while the Philippine Marines and soldiers conducted team rushes.
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A Philippine service member and a U.S. Marine paint playground equipment at an elementary school.
Photo by Cpl. Daniel W. Yarnall, USMC |
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Philippine Air Force Sgt. Rolando Picar and U.S. Marine PFC A. J. Mee build a wall for a new elementary school house.
Photo by Cpl. Daniel W. Yarnall, US |
During the live-fire training, the two forces operated each other’s LAVs and conducted vehicle maneuver training and classes on their LAV’s weapon systems. The teams also explained the structure of a U.S. LAV team to the Philippine servicemen. The U.S. LAV teams included vehicle operators and a scout team that provided perimeter security.
Medical and Dental Assistance
Filipinos residing near Capas, Tarlac, received medical and dental assistance from Philippine and U.S. forces’ medical and dental personnel as part of Exercise TALON VISION 2004. The two countries’ medical personnel set up clinics with assistance from the Capas Department of Health.
The medical and dental clinics also served the community around Santa Juliana Elementary School in Barangay Santa Juliana. The clinics provided care to more than 3,000 Filipino men, women, and children during their three days of operation. The U.S. Pacific Command donated the medications and supplies to support the project. “Humanitarian Civil Assistance is one of the pillars of the bilateral training between the Philippine and U.S. Armed Forces during Exercise TALON VISION,” said U.S. Marine Capt. Burrell D. Parmer.
U.S. Navy CPO Erwin Velasco, TALON VISION Air Combat Element medical chief and Philippine native, said he felt fortunate to be a part of a project that had “such a huge impact” on the community. “You could see in the patient’s eyes that it was just overwhelming their spirits to have someone care. We cared,” he noted.
Civic Action Projects
Philippine and U.S. engineers, with assistance from the local government built a three-room school building, a community center/day care facility, a full-sized basketball court, and a playground while refurbishing the existing school in Barangay Marulgo in Capas.
