US troops in PH for joint training with Pinoy forces

MANILA, Philippines — Marines and sailors from the United States Navy arrived in the Philippines on Wednesday for a six-month stint in the Indo-Pacific region, starting with joint naval exercises with Filipino troops from Oct. 7 to Oct. 24 under Sama Sama 2024 and Kamandag 8.

READ: PH starts 4-nation naval drills with US, Australia, Canada

“This annual rotational deployment of Marines is designed to build upon cooperative relationships with important regional allies and partners, increasing effective interoperability, maintaining US Marine Corps forces in the region and contributing to freedom within the Indo-Pacific,” the Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) said in a statement.

The exercises will include an expert-led training exchange such as ground and aircraft fires integration; combat medical care; chemical, biological, radiological, neurological response; logistics support in contested environments; small boat operations; amphibious operations planning; and unmanned aerial surveillance employment. —Jacob Lazaro