Tuesday, October 14, 2008 RP-US military exercises to be held in CL
CLARK FREEPORT -- The RP-US joint military exercises, which will be held in Central Luzon starting October 16, will have a different scheme, an Air Force official said.
"It will consist mostly of civic and medical missions in towns in Tarlac and Nueva Ecija," said Lieutenant Colonel Allan Ballesteros, spokesperson for Talon Vision '09.
Ballesteros said except for some parachuting exercises, other airborne joint exercises usually done during Talon Vision have been scrapped.
He disclosed that the Philippine Air Force (PAF) does not have counterpart aircraft to complement the sophisticated US aircraft.
Some of the expected 2,000 US marine personnel have already arrived here via Subic Bay, according to Ballesteros.
"They will be based as usual at the Holiday Inn at Clark," he added.
The military contingents from the PAF and the Philippine Marines have already implemented several programs for school construction in Central Luzon.
"We expect the Americans to move in with their prefabricated materials by October 15, so that by the end of Talon vision on October 28, the buildings could be turned over to the local government units," he said.
Ballesteros said the PAF personnel will team up with the 36th US Marines Air Group to put up a school building each in Barangay David in San Jose and Barangay Bueno in Capas, both in Tarlac.
In Guimba, Nueva Ecija, joint US-RP Marines teams are also to construct another school building.
"Medical missions are also slated in Sta. Ignacia West in Sta. Ignacia, and BArangays Sula and Iba in San Jose, all in Tarlac. Another one will be held in Manggang Maasin in Guimba, Nueva Ecija," Ballesteros said.
He added that most of the usual Talon Vision air borne military exercises would not be held this time. (RGN)
