A NATIVE of San Isidro town in Abra province who joined the Philippine Army now has a bigger responsibility: to ensure that all the vehicles are in good condition.

Private First Class Rosethom Calpito is now a mechanic of the Philippine Army's 53rd Infantry "Matapat" Battalion (53IB). He was a former automatic rifleman of the battalion's Scout Platoon.

As a mechanic, the job of Calpito is to maintain the unit's vehicles in mint condition so that the Matapat troopers can safely be inserted to and extracted from their missions.

"As an Army mechanic, I am responsible in inspecting, servicing, repairing, replacing, adjusting, and testing vehicle components to ensure that all vehicles are all up, running, and safe to use," Calpito said.

Meanwhile, the 53IB continues to achieve excellence by conducting a training on Harris Radio Operations and Maintenance.

Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera, 53IB commander, said the training is being conducted at Camp Major David Sabido, which houses the unit's headquarters in Poblacion village, Guipos, Zamboanga del Sur.

He said the Harris Radio Training forms part of the Platoon Sustained Warfighting Enhancement Evaluation Program (Sweep), a program to enhance the warfighting capabilities of the Matapat troopers.

He added that the training included Frequency Programming, Parts and Functions, and Corrective and Preventive Maintenance. (SunStar Zamboanga)