PORMAL nang sinimulan kamakalawa ng Pilipinas at United States Armed Forces ang dalawang linggong joint military exercises o taunang pagsasanay na pansamantalang nakansela dahil sa pandemya, ayon kay AFP chief General Cirilito Sobejana.

Sa simpleng 36th Balikatan Exercise (BK36-21) opening ceremony na ginanap sa canopy ng Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo ay binigay ni Gen. Sobejana ang hudyat sa pagsisimula ng military exercise sa sasalihan ng may 1,700 sundalo mula sa dalawang bansa.

“The Balikatan Exercise, since its launching in 1991, has been a treasure trove of learning opportunities for both Filipino and American soldiers and in recent years would also include our other allies here in the Indo-Pacific region,” ayon sa heneral.

Ang pagbabalik ng Joint RP-US Balikatan exercise ay inihayag matapos mag usap sina Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana at US Defense Department Secretary Lloyd Austin para talakayin ang ilalatag na war exercise sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon sa South China Sea at kasalukuyang regional security developments.

Bunga ng pandemic ay may mga pagbabago sa nakalatag na pagsasanay.

Kabilang sa mga dumalo sa nasabing kick-off ceremony sina Gen. Sobejana, U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires John Law; Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, ang commander ng AFP Education Training and Doctrine Command at itinalagang Balikatan Exercise Director; Col. Stephen Ma, Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group Chief at U.S. Defense Attaché, at Col. Aaron Brunk ng U.S. III Marine Expeditionary Force, Officer in Charge for Exercise Support Group. (JESSE KABEL)