Pinoy soldiers try urban terrain training in inaugural Kamandag exercise

Government soldiers tried urban terrain warfare training as part of the first Kaagapay ng mga Mandirigma sa Dagat (Kamandag) Exercise, a 10-day joint exercise between Filipino and American Marines.

Training in military operations in urban terrain is not often included in military exercises, but it saw due attention because of the focus of the Kamandag Exercise on internal security and counter-terrorism, according to a report by Marisol Abdurahman on Balitanghali on Wednesday.

Philippine Marine Commandant Brigadier General Alvin Parreño said the activity meant a lot to the Philippine Marines, especially in light of the still-ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City.

He said operating in urban terrain was one of the challenges faced by government troops in the besieged city.

"Other than the jungle warfare, we also have the urban terrain warfare, which is currently now the threat in the global world," Parreño said.

"We have to improve our own urban terrain, we have to improve more on other new equipment, sniping ang counter-sniping, and night-fighting system," he added.

The exercise, which started on October 2, officially ended on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Philippine Marine Corps in Taguig City.

 

KAMANDAG o kaagapay ng mandirigma ng dagat erxercise closing ceremony.

A post shared by Marisol Abdurahman (@marisol_abdurahman) on

Oct 11, 2017 at 12:39am PDT

Amphibious assault vehicles used for the first time

During the joint exercise, Filipino soldiers for the first time used amphibious assault vehicles (AAV)—which can operate both on land and water—from the US in a ship-to-shore movement in Zambales.

 

US Marines' amphibious assault vehicle or AAV did the Ship to shore movement together with the PHILIPPINE marines in the recently concluded 1st KAMANDAG or kaagapay ng mandirigma ng dagat exercise. Sana meron na ring AAV ang marines natin.

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Oct 10, 2017 at 9:27pm PDT

The AAVs were boarded on a Strategic Sea Lift Vessel or LD601, more popularly known as BRP Tarlac, which was also used for the first time in an exercise such as the Kamandag Exercise.

Live fire at the Crow Valley Bombing and Gunnery Range in Tarlac was also a part of the exercise's activities.

But the Marines did not only train with firearms—they also wielded shovels and other construction materials as they tested their skills in a school-building activity in Casiguran, Aurora.

New recruits of the Bureau of Fire Protection, for their part, experienced emergency response training.

Parreño said lessons learned from the humanitarian assistance training part of the Kamandag Exercise would be applied in rehabilitation efforts for Marawi. 

Both Filipino and American Marine officers expressed their gratitude for the joint exercise, which they claimed is proof of a strong relationship between the two nations.

The Kamandag Exercise participated in by the Philippine Marine Corps and the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade of the US Marine Corps began on October 2. Activities were held in Ternate, Zambales, Tarlac, and Aurora. —Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/KG, GMA News