US-RP JSOTF-P presence, US spec-ops in Mindanao(updated thread)

Yup, the malcontents were baiting the Americans. With that kind of a reflex reaction to such an incident they, the Americans, need to be trained and seasoned a bit more. If someone got hurt by their response fire it would've labeled them as the bad ones despite their original humanitarian mission.

I for one wouldn't mind that some US troopers join our local forces in patrols as long as he knows where his place is. The same should be said of US assets that were said meant to augment our forces' capabilities.

Americans Wearing out their Welcome in Mindanao?
Written by Criselda Yabes
THURSDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2009
Not yet, Filipino officials say

When the American military pulled out of the Philippines more than 15 years ago, it seemed that an ambivalent, emotionally charged political relationship with a former colonizer was coming to closure.

But the Philippines still has to acknowledge it needs help to maintain and modernize a military fighting one of the longest running insurgencies in Asia. US forces continue to provide that assistance despite growing calls by leftists in the Philippine Congress to end their participation.

It is Central Mindanao as much as anywhere in the region that jihadi groups from Indonesia and those with links to Al-Qaeda have used as training grounds to carry out terrorism in the troubled south and other parts of Southeast Asia. It is here that Noordin Mohamad Top, the Malaysian who emerged as one the of the region’s top terrorists, was trained, authorities say. Noodin, who appears to have been killed in a police raid in Indonesia Thursday, is believed to have been responsible for a long series of bombings in Indonesia, including the blasts at the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton in Jakarta in July and earlier ones in Bali. It takes less than three hours by small boat to travel between the southernmost portion of Mindanao to the nearest Indonesian island.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro’s visit to the Pentagon last week highlighted how the United States remains very much an ally, announcing that his meeting with US defense chief Robert Gates would push to "higher gear" a strategy to counter threats of terrorism and Muslim separatism on the southern island of Mindanao as well as neighboring parts of Malaysia and Indonesia on Borneo.

As if on cue, this elicited leftover feelings of recriminations against American influence, fears that a Visiting Forces Agreement that has allowed joint special operations since 2002 might turn into another form of dependence and intervention. A legislative oversight committee is looking into whether the agreement should be reviewed or scrapped, although this is likely going to take some time and with lengthy debates.

For one, leftist coalitions in the congress are riding on to a call by the communist-led National Democratic Front (NDF) in Mindanao to push out the estimated 600-person Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines under the US Pacific Command, presenting allegations by a female Filipino Navy officer that American soldiers were involved in combat with Filipino soldiers. Allegations of covert operations have been raised in the past yet none have borne fruit.

Urging that all revolutionary forces in Mindanao should "wage an all-out struggle against the deployment and intervention of America," the NDF has spoken somewhat out of turf since it has little or no common affinity with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) seeking to reclaim the Muslims’ ancestral domain. An MILF source privy to the peace negotiations said Muslims are seeking "accommodation" instead of an outright change in government, saying it is unlikely that it would align itself with the NDF.

Lt Col Rolando Baustita, spokesman for the 10th Army Division based in Davao – where the NDF is most active in Mindanao, said "enough forces are at hand" to repel any possible communist attacks expected in the northern and eastern part of Mindanao, largely populated by Christians and indigenous groups.

Communist influence in the region has largely diminished from its height in the 1980s, its strongholds limited to the eastern provinces, where rebels have resorted mostly to banditry and extortion, from full-scale attacks it had done in the past against the military.

A senior military staff officer of the Eastern Mindanao Command said the communists appear to be banking on propaganda, hoping that an anti-US sentiment would snowball, and that it would offer them some discussion leverage in a renewed peace talks offered recently by the government. The rebel strength of the New People’s Army has dwindled from 25,000 to 5,000, having lost its momentum after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship. Most of its remaining forces are concentrated in the southern Luzon region.

"They will blow out of proportion every incident involving the Americans," said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "If you talk about their military capability to do it, it’s zero."

The "high gear" that both defense chiefs have agreed upon in their talks in Washington is much of its continuing cooperation on two fronts: 1) upgrading the capability of the Philippine Armed Forces, whose modernization program bogged down from the start; and 2) providing support to a military doctrine in defeating Muslim rebels who have allowed Islamic groups from Indonesia and those with links to the Al-Qaeda to use their camps in central Mindanao as a training ground to carry out terrorism in the troubled south.

The military declared a suspension of operations two months ago in a effort to bring negotiations back on the agenda after peace talks broke down last year, trying to pursue a strategy that is geared instead towards conflict management and peace building – where they count on American financial support to undertake projects such as renovating schools, constructing farm-to-market roads, setting up livelihood markets, building wharfs and bridges in the impoverished conflict areas of Muslim Mindanao.

American forces, usually from the Navy or the Special Forces, form teams of 12 in tactical camps of the Philippine military based in critical provinces of Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao, and Lanao. Many Filipino officers say this a partnership with the Americans, sharing intelligence and joining surveys of villages for their civil-military operations. There has yet been no case – at least not made public – of US soldiers participating in actual combat with Filipinos against the MILF.

A battalion commander in Mindanao said that from he has seen, the Americans are "bored to death" of their limited movements and that "even if I want them involved in our operations because they have the gadgets that we don’t have, they are too careful. Their careers as well as ours will be on the line."

In villages around Mindanao, there are no signs of open hostility towards American soldiers undertaking civil-military operations with Filipino troops; and in many areas dominated by Muslims there are signboards everywhere of US economic projects – referred to by the NDF as "so-called humanitarian operations … that aim to camouflage their (American) military intervention."
http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=c...2058&Itemid=189

RIP to these Troops, both US and Pinoy:

This post has been edited by MSantor on Sep 29 2009, 03:37 PM

And more details: the service members appear to be US Navy personnel.

Should we expect active involvement of US personnel in combat ops vs the ASG bec of this killings?

RIP

The real problem kung bakit dehado tayo sa VFA ay walang kwenta yun mga officials natin negotiating this. Madaling mauto o simpleng walang paki sa bansa natin. They are just out to look for themselves.

Its high time that real people not leeches negotiate for us. That way hindi nalalamangan tayo whenever a treaty is signed.

And it seems the US is undaunted by the recent landmine blast which killed 2 Seabees in Sulu in the Southern part of that country.

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,202380,00.html

Miriam should not have to worry soon enough...

This post has been edited by desertranger on Oct 3 2009, 04:29 PM

Task Force Members Honor Fallen Soldiers During Memorial Ceremony

By Lt.j.g. Theresa Donnelly
Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines Public Affairs

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines - Service members from Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney and officials from the Armed Forces Philippines paid their final respects at a memorial ceremony Oct. 3, for two JSOTF-P Soldiers who lost their lives Sept. 29.

Sgt. 1st Class Christopher D. Shaw and Staff Sgt. Jack M. Martin III died when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while conducting a resupply mission for a school construction project in the vicinity of Kagay Barangay on Jolo Island, southern Philippines.

An AFP Marine was also killed and three AFP Soldiers were wounded in the explosion.

U.S. Navy Capt. Jeffrey Tyer, JSOTF-P Deputy Commander, gave the opening remarks to nearly 150 people in attendance, emphasizing the important role of these fallen U.S. Army Special Forces Soldiers.

“These were men who chose the path of the U.S. Special Forces warrior. Christopher Shaw and Jack Martin chose this path because it’s a worthwhile and honorable path,” said Tyer.

“It’s a path down which you see worlds and lives transformed, and from which you realize that individuals willing to sacrifice can make a huge difference,” he said.

After a short scripture reading, three Soldiers who worked side-by-side with Shaw and Martin took the opportunity to share some of their memories.

“Chris and Jack led the way in all aspects of this mission. Their sacrifices will not be forgotten,” said Shaw and Martin’s Company Sergeant Major.

Two of the Soldiers in their company spoke about the Soldiers to the teary-eyed audience, expressing their personal relationships and the impact of the loss.

“Those of you, who knew Chris, knew Chris had the biggest smile I’ve ever seen in my life. He would give you the shirt off his back,” said a master sergeant who knew both of them well. “Chris was a great Soldier. He was a friend, a father, an uncle and brother.”

A staff sergeant who served with Martin, spoke of his sense of humor and contribution to the unit.

“Jack brought a real sense of joy to the team, through everything. You could be having the worst day ever and Jack would do things that would make everything alright. Jack was the best kind of Soldier,” said the staff sergeant.

The JSOTF-P Soldiers were from 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces (Airborne), headquartered in Fort Lewis, Wash.

After the ceremony, two photo plaques were added to a painted mural within the JSOTF-P headquarters compound, preserving the memory of the fallen Soldiers.

Ambassador Kenney expressed her condolences to the 3rd Battalion Soldiers and to 10 JSOTF-P service members from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion One, who were working on the school construction project in Kagay, Jolo when the IED exploded.

“In the last few days, [Filipino] people here have literally jumped out of windows and corners to tell me how sorry they are and to say, ‘We know what you are doing for our country and we can’t believe you lost lives doing it,” she said. “You should know there is a Filipino nation behind you.”

At the request of the Philippine Government, JSOTF-P forces are temporarily deployed to support the Philippine Security Forces countering terrorism, sharing information and intelligence, participating in tactical training programs and working with the AFP on humanitarian assistance projects.

http://www.pacom.mil/web/Site_Pages/Media/...TaskForce.shtml

well, if you are to base the answer on this article on The Washington Times last October 14, 2009, it seems like that is the case.

if that is really the case, then it is no surprise as to why the AFP and the Philippines, as a whole, remain pathetic.

JSOTF-P Assists Philippine National Police with Live Fire Demonstration

By Lt. J. G Theresa Donnelly
Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines Public Affairs

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines - Members of a Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) explosive ordnance disposal task unit joined Philippine National Police (PNP) for a live-fire demonstration of an improvised explosive device (IED) detonation Oct 20.

The training, held at Police Regional Office Nine headquarters in Zamboanga City, was designed to teach first responders from PNP’s Explosive Incident Reaction Team what to do if they come across a suspected IED.

“We are so glad that the first responders are here to receive this training. This gives them an overview, an orientation, which is not taught in schools. Now they can go back to their respective units with this knowledge,” said Jonathan A. Nodado, a police officer from Regional Explosive Disposal and Detection Unit 9.

Members of Zamboanga City Police Office Bomb Squad assisted JSOTF-P EOD members by constructing types of detonators for the explosives. Participants also observed ways IEDs are built and triggered.

During the demonstration, instructors also taught the teams how to create a shaped charge, which controls the direction of the blast, making sure the explosion is detonated without loss of life.

“Our objective as EOD technicians is to control when and where the IED will explode and to keep people from dying,” said the JSOTF-P EOD Task Unit officer-in-charge.

Many of these first responders are on the front line in the deterrence of IED activity in Zamboanga City.

“Since they are first to arrive on scene once an IED is detected, it is crucial they know exactly what steps to take. That is why this training is so important,” said the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 2nd Class.

This was the second day JSOTF-P’s EOD Team worked with this Regional PNP office. The first day of training covered basic IED awareness and recognition such as types of IEDs, composition, ways to conceal IEDs, and how each explosive is designed for different purposes.

“The awareness training is so important because the first responders must know how to effectively manage a bomb scene and to minimize causalities upon discovery of an IED,” said JSOTF-P’s EOD OIC.

After the demonstration, participants received graduation certificates, signifying their increased awareness and understanding how to respond should they encounter an IED.

http://www.pacom.mil/web/Site_Pages/Media/...nstration.shtml

http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=41160
Local Vet and Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines Teach and Treat Animals at Veterinarian Civil Action Project
Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines
Story by Lt.j.g. Theresa Donnelly
Date: 11.05.2009
Posted: 11.05.2009 09:27


Lanao Del Sur, Philippines – In cooperation with one of only two veterinarians in the province, members of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines treated livestock and pets at a Veterinarian Civil Action Project Nov. 2-3.

The VETCAP was an opportunity for local residents to receive free care and education on their animals. Locals spent the first day in a seminar and brought their livestock on the following day for treatment. Many of the area's barangay chairmen and instructors from the college attended the classroom portion and learned methods of treating sick animals, how to give shots and prevent diseases.

Additionally, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines 103rd Brigade, Alpha Company provided security, making the project a collaborative effort of both militaries and local leadership.

"It was great to see all the barangay chairmen and leadership from the Lumbayanague municipality attends this today. It is very beneficial to our people as many of them are engaged in farming," said Arimao S. Asum, the school's superintendent.

With so few veterinarians locally, JSOTF-P veterinarian U.S. Army Lt. Col. Stephen Goldsmith emphasized the importance of farmers learning to treat animals themselves, and steps they can take to have healthier, more productive livestock and pets.

"A sick animal cannot produce meat, milk or other products. You want to do what you can to try and keep your animals healthy," he said.

With help from Dr. Pendatun R. Masanang, from the Philippine Carabao Center (who served as a translator), Goldsmith described the kinds of injections planned for the VETCAP. Additionally, the veterinarian team passed out pamphlets from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, describing what to do if they suspect their poultry have contracted avian influenza.