The Armed Forces of the Philippines and participating forces from other countries held casualty response simulations and heavy weapons training as part of the Kamandag 2024 military exercises in various parts of the country.
In Oscar Oida’s Monday report on 24 Oras, various military units responded to the evacuation and treatment of “wounded” troops during a simulation where an accident occurred somewhere in the West Philippine Sea.
The “casualties” arrived via a US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport that landed at a military facility. On the ground, the wounded were examined by a medical team before a Philippine Navy ambulance took them to a hospital for treatment.
This edition of Kamandag saw participants from the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), US Marine Corps (USMC), Japan Ground Self Defense Forces (JGSDF), Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC), Royal Marines Commandos from the United Kingdom, and the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
“Na-execute naman po ng maayos. Napakita naman po yung mga capability na kailangan na kailangan na meron ang isang locality. Hindi lang yung higher authorities, o higher agencies ang kailangang tumulong kasi in any disaster ang mauuna po ay yung mga nandito mismo,” said Carmelita Laverino, officer in charge of the Office of the Civil Defense Region 1.
(They were able to execute the exercise properly. The different units displayed capabilities that would be needed by a locality. The higher authorities or higher agencies should not only be the ones helping since when there is a disaster, the ones who would respond first are those who are present here.)
The US Marine Corps believes that it is important to harness the cooperation from each concerned agency, the report said.
On October 17, Thursday, Filipino and US forces conducted a live fire exercise involving heavy weaponry in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
Members of the PMC 3rd Marine Brigade engaged in the live firing of rocket propelled grenades while aboard a Navy Patrol Craft, Coastal or PCF.
Meanwhile, US Marines fired their shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapons.
The Kamandag exercises will run until Oct. 25. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
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