Hawaii soldjas stay busy in da Philippines, doing some mean kine training. Da United States ?? an da Philippines ?? wen launch one big kahuna military exercise, an da Hawaii troops stay right in da middle of da action, brah. ?
Da Exercise Balikatan 2023 get 17,500 troops from da Philippines, da U.S., an small kine Australian soldiers too. All dis going down afta da U.S. an da Philippines wen make new agreements fo’ allow more American soldiers fo’ train an do operations in da islands. ?️
Da Philippines Military Chief of Staff, Gen. Andres Centino, say dis exercise stay real good timing fo’ dem, cuz dey working on upgrading how dey do military stuff. Da exercise goin’ last da whole month an get all kine action wit ground, air, an naval forces. Dey goin’ practice amphibious operations, urban operations, cyber defense, an mo’! ??
Da U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division from Schofield stay participating in Balikatan an wen arrive on da ground since March 13. Dey wen do Exercise Salaknib wit da Philippines troops, an dat wen pau on April 4. Da 25th, aka “America’s Pacific Division,” stay busy sending troops all ova da region an hosting odda countries’ troops in Hawaii fo’ training. ??
Col. Graham White, da commander of da 25th’s 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, wen talk story wit da Star-Advertiser an say da joint training dis year stay “bigger an bettah, an enhanced in every way you can tink of.” ??
Lt. Col. Ryan Case, da commander of da 2nd Brigade’s 1-27 Infantry Battalion, say dey not just looking at da technical kine stuff, but also how dey can work togedda fo’ do operations in da future. ?
During Salaknib, da Philippine troops wen stay real interested in how fo’ counter an neutralize drones. Drones stay playing one big role in da fights going on in Ukraine, an dat’s making tings complicated fo’ both sides. ?
Da Army stay adjusting how dey operate in da Pacific region. Col. White say every exercise an deployment stay like one experiment fo’ dem, an dey trying fo’ capitalize on dat opportunity while in da Philippines. ?
Da Marine Corps’ Kaneohe-based 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment stay participating in dis year’s Balikatan too, an dey get dea own Pacific strategy fo’ work on. ?♂️
Da Marine Corps stay changing how dey operate, focusing mo’ on coastal an island operations. Dey goin’ back to dea roots, like da island hopping dey wen do during World War II, but now wit one 21st-century twist. Marines goin’ set up missile batteries fo’ sink enemy ships an ting. ??
Fo’ make dis work, gotta coordinate wit countries like da Philippines. Las’ year, during Balikatan 2022, da MLR an Philippine troops wen practice joint amphibious landings an coastal defense operations. Dis year, dey goin’ practice retaking one island captured by enemy forces. ⚔️?️
Da Marine Corps’ changes stay designed fo’ da Western Pacific area, wea China stay beefing wit da Philippines an odda neighbors ova territorial an navigation rights in da South China Sea. ?? Da whole area stay important fo’ international trade, an Beijing like claim da whole sea as dea own. Dey even wen build bases on disputed islands an reefs fo’ show dea power. ?️?
Da Philippines an China stay arguing ova da Spratly Islands. In 2016, one international court wen say Philippines stay right, an China’s claim get no legal basis. But China’s military neva stop building bases an harassing Filipino fishermen, pushing dem away from dea traditional fishing grounds. ??
Some experts tink da Spratlys could be important if China eva invade Taiwan. ??? Da new president of da Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., wen promise fo’ try make tings bettah wit China. He wen talk about his friendship wit Chinese officials an say he might let go of da 2016 ruling fo’ work out one new deal. ?
But da ongoing harassment of Filipino fishermen an odda mariners by Chinese vessels stay making people in da Philippines mo’ upset wit China. Da Chinese military stay active in da West Philippine Sea, an dat stay making da Philippines’ government take one tough stance against China. ??
In March, President Marcos wen tell da press dat da new basing agreement mean U.S. troops goin’ be all ova da Philippines, from da north to da south. Col. White say U.S. military engineers stay working on improving Philippine military bases too. ?️??
Da kine projects stay ongoing, an da Philippine partners stay stoked. White say dey get Philippine engineers working side by side wit da U.S. ones. ???
So, da Hawaii troops stay right in da middle of da action, helping wit dis massive military exercise an working togedda wit da Philippines an odda countries. Stay safe out dea, Hawaii soldjas! ????
NOW IN ENGLISH
Hawaii Troops Play Key Role in Major Military Exercises with Philippines ?????
The United States and the Philippines recently launched their largest joint military exercise in recent history, with Hawaii troops playing a central role in the operations amid regional tensions ??. Exercise Balikatan 2023 includes a combined 17,500 troops from the Philippine armed forces, the U.S. military, and a small number of Australian soldiers ??. This exercise follows the signing of new basing agreements between the United States and the Philippines, allowing for the expansion of American forces’ training and operations in the archipelago nation ?.
Gen. Andres Centino, the Philippine military’s chief of staff, highlighted the significance of this year’s Balikatan Exercise as the country works to revamp its military operations ?️. Throughout the month, ground, air, and naval forces will practice amphibious operations, urban operations, cyber defense, counterterrorism, and other missions ?✈️?.
The U.S. Army’s Schofield-based 25th Infantry Division, also known as “America’s Pacific Division,” has been on the ground in the Philippines since March 13 ???️. They first participated in Exercise Salaknib with Philippine troops before transitioning to Balikatan. The 25th Infantry Division has been increasing its regional presence and hosting foreign troops for training in Hawaii as part of U.S. Army Pacific’s Operation Pathways ??.
Col. Graham White, commander of the 25th’s 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, noted that joint training between the two countries this year is “bigger and better” and has been enhanced in every way ?. Lt. Col. Ryan Case, commander of the 2nd Brigade’s 1-27 Infantry Battalion, emphasized the focus on procedural interoperability and how both sides will conduct operations in the future ?.
During Exercise Salaknib, the Philippine commanders and troops were particularly interested in countering and neutralizing drones, as drone systems have played a crucial role in recent conflicts such as the fighting in Ukraine ???. The U.S. Army has been adapting its strategy for the Pacific region, with every exercise and deployment offering opportunities to experiment and capitalize on new tactics ?️.
The Marine Corps’ Kaneohe-based 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment also participated in this year’s Balikatan Exercise, as the Marines refine their Pacific strategy ?⚓. The 3rd MLR is designed for coastal and island operations, focusing on “island hopping” missions similar to those conducted during World War II, but with a modern twist ?. Coordinating with regional countries like the Philippines is essential for the success of this new approach ?.
The ongoing tensions between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea have led to disputes over territorial and navigation rights ⚠️?. Beijing claims the entire sea as its exclusive territory and has built bases on disputed islands and reefs to assert its dominance ?. The Spratly Islands, in particular, have been a point of contention between the two nations, and some analysts believe they could become strategically important during a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan ??.
The Philippines’ new president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., initially aimed to improve relations with Beijing, but the continued harassment of Filipino fishermen and other mariners by Chinese vessels has fueled anti-Chinese sentiment in the country ??. This has led to a much tougher stance on China by the Philippines as it seeks closer cooperation with the United States, Japan, and other countries ??. In March, President Marcos announced that the expanded basing agreement would see operations by U.S. troops “scattered around the Philippines – there are some in the north, there are some around Palawan, there are some further south” ?.
Col. White revealed that U.S. military engineers have been working on infrastructure projects at Philippine military bases to improve their facilities this year ?️?. These efforts are being carried out in conjunction with Philippine engineers, fostering collaboration and partnership between the two nations ????.
As Exercise Balikatan 2023 continues, it demonstrates the growing military cooperation between the United States and the Philippines, with Hawaii troops playing a significant role in these joint exercises ?️?. Amid regional tensions, these exercises provide valuable training and an opportunity to strengthen alliances with allied nations, ensuring that all parties are better prepared for future challenges in the region ??.
