“WE are multi-role fighters.”
This, according to Sgt. Jojo Villar, is the main message of the Philippine Air Force (PAF,) based in the Visayas, during its three-day mall exhibit at the activity center of Ayala Center Cebu on May 1, Wednesday.
“This is to further the public’s knowledge of our capabilities and accomplishments, to include the trainings we conduct,” he said in Tagalog.
The 710th Special Operations Wing, the PAF unit to which Villar belongs, conducts airborne training, small unit tactics training, close-quarter battle, explosive ordinance, and Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus diving, he said.
It is also active in disaster response and humanitarian activities.
Captain Marifel Ticman, one of the PAF UH-1H female pilots, said this nationwide initiative is part of their preparations for their upcoming 72nd Founding Anniversary on July 1.
The Philippine Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is composed of various units to include the aircraft, the reservists (medical team) and the special elite forces.
The event is also one of their strategic moves to promote awareness of their ongoing recruitment.
“We encourage the civilians to join the Air Force, especially (to join us) the combatants, kasi alam naman natin kulang na kulang ang force natin ngayon (because we all know we lack them),” he said.
Chris (full name withheld), 13, one of those who passed by the PAF exhibit in Ayala, said he was amazed at the items that were displayed in the exhibit.
“Nagulat po pero nagustuhan ko kasi hindi po ako nakakakita ng ganito araw-araw,” he said.
Among the items displayed were a real quad automatic weapon (both belt and magazine fed) assault rifle with attached silencer and optic scope, sniper rifle, some equipment of the 205th tactical helicopter wing, and some of their search and rescue gear. (WBS)