Freshly trained Marines set sail for Sulu

A battalion of Philippine Marines has been deployed in Sulu following a nine-month training and a send-off ceremony given by Navy Flag Office in Command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad and Marine Corps commandant Major General Alvin A Parreño at South Harbor on Friday.

The 8th Marine Battalion arrived in Manila in September 2018 from its deployment in the province of Cagayan and Batanes.

In his speech, Empedrad reminded that the Marines should “remember that the faith of the Filipino people lies on your unprecedented skills as this country’s protectors."

"With your spotless records of previous successful missions, we are likewise assured of your triumph in this new charge and that when the time comes for your return," Empedrad said.

"We will again stories of success and the victory in the name of our Philippine Marine Corps, for our Navy, our Armed Forces and our maritime nation," he added.

The Marines deployed the 8th Marine Battalion to the province of Sulu to replace the Marine Battalion Landing Team 3, which in turn will replace MBLT 12 in Palawan.

MBLT 12 is scheduled to take the said retraining and refurbishing once it arrives in Manila.

According to the Marines' Public Affairs Office, the Rifle Battalion Training System was conceptualized to provide a comprehensive approach for training based on the long established PMC training concept.

The training is supposedly designed to sustain the combat preparedness of marine operating forces in the face of their relatively prolonged deployments and high operational tempo in the area.

It includes proven best war fighting practices of transforming the rifle battalion to a battalion landing team focusing on critical combat and non-combat tasks.

"With these innovations and capability development programs, they have once again shown that the marines are the adaptable force needed by our archipelagic nation that is ready to respond to crisis and emergency in the country," Parreño said.

He also encouraged the Marines to “continue to serve our God, our country and the Filipino people.” —NB, GMA News