United States Army together with their counterparts from the Philippine Army conducted the 12-day “Salaknib” exercises in military facilities in Camp O’Donnel in Capas, Tarlac; Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija; and Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
The exercises took place from November 16 to 27.
Philippine Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ray Tiongson said “Salaknib” is an Ilocano term for “protector.”
US Embassy photo
“The American and Filipino soldiers shared information such as gunnery procedures and maintenance for the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier, artillery tactics and processes, as well as study and validation of the PA Sustainment Functional Concept Document, which establishes a common framework to guide developments for sustaining future Army operations,” the US Embassy in Manila said.
It added that Philippine soldiers fired artillery and M113 guns to demonstrate their newly burnished skills.
A second phase of activities for Salaknib will take place in April 2018 and will overlap with Balikatan in May 2018.