A peaceful coastal town in Ilocos Norte, Philippines, showcases a blend of natural beauty and rural charm. Stretching along the northernmost coast of Luzon, it is bordered by the blue waters of the western Pacific Ocean. During October, Burgos became the location where the proverbial rubber met the road as three different nations trained together to accomplish one common goal.
Members of the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB), Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), trained side-by-side with the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) 4th Marine Brigade (4MBDE) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), along with support from U.S. Marines and Sailors from Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA), elements of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 165 (Reinforced), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (15th MEU), and Combined Task Force – 76 (CTF 76) to share knowledge and experiences while participating in various subject matter expert exchanges leading up to a final humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HA/DR) demonstration on Camp Cape Bojeador during the annual Philippine Marine Corps exercise, KAMANDAG 8.
The expert exchanges included classes on Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS); medical care, triage and casualty evacuation; small boats; and operational planning, which were vital to the final execution of the HA/DR demonstration between the combined forces.
Marines and Sailors from MRF-SEA played a key role in the planning for the HA/DR demonstration, coordinated by the JGSDF Logistics Support Brigade (LSB). U.S. Marine involvement comes on the heels of a successful bilateral response to Typhoon Krathon (Julian) in Northern Luzon and the Batanes Islands, which occurred less than a week before the commencement of KAMANDAG. This experience provided MRF-SEA with valuable insights that enhanced the overall planning process.
“This is one of the first major evolutions where you have a combined effort between the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, the Philippine Marine Corps, and the United States Marine Corps,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Matthew Demaso, the Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company officer in charge for Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia.
Leading up to the execution of the HA/DR mission demonstration, leaders from the JGSDF, 4MBDE, and MRF-SEA engaged in extensive planning over four days at Camp Cape Bojeador in Burgos. The Operational Planning Team developed a comprehensive and integrated response strategy for the simulated disaster scenario. Concurrently, participating forces conducted multilateral training in key areas, including amphibious landings, search and rescue operations, medical triage and patient evacuation, engineering clearance procedures, and sUAS operations with an RQ-20 PUMA.
The U.S. Marines manning the PUMA were able to showcase the abilities of an unmanned aerial vehicle in assisting with search and rescue missions in the event of a natural disaster.
“The information that I’ve been sharing with their personnel is focused on search and rescue, specifically how the sUAS systems could help both the military and the civilian sector for any humanitarian aid or disaster relief mission,” said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Marcos Lopez, a sUAS operator with ANGLICO Detachment 1.
Lopez served as the lead instructor for the sUAS SMEE, demonstrating how to properly launch a PUMA and showcasing the information that the unmanned aircraft can provide, such as grid location, altitude, distance, and live video footage of the surrounding area.
Leveraging the PUMA’s reconnaissance capabilities enables combined forces to identify citizens impacted by natural disasters ahead of time, allowing rescue personnel to prepare accordingly before arriving on-site.
While MRF-SEA Marines shared insights into the capabilities of the sUAS, medical personnel at Camp Cape Bojeador exchanged knowledge on best medical practices for responding to natural disasters as they prepared for the HA/DR demonstration. Nurses with the JGSDF, service members with the Philippine BFP, and U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class David Doyle, a preventative medicine technician with MRF-SEA, led the majority the medical SMEE focusing on taking a mass influx of patients and triaging them promptly, monitoring vitals, and documenting injuries to ensure the best patient care during their admission to a higher echelon of medical care.
“If we can continue to educate each other on the multitude of possible medical scenarios that can happen after a natural disaster, we will enhance our ability to assist in a real-life scenario,” said Doyle.
As the training progressed, the collaborative efforts among the combined forces highlighted the importance of real-world preparedness in the face of potential disasters. Elements of the 15th MEU provided air support with MV-22 Ospreys to aid in transporting supplies and conducting casualty evacuations, including medical personnel from 4MBDE and JGSDF. The demonstration also featured over-the-horizon ship-to-shore movements and coordination with local agencies.
This comprehensive approach not only facilitated skill-building in search-and-rescue tactical operations and patient triage, but also fostered a deeper understanding of each nation’s roles and capabilities, emphasizing the significance of scenario-based training.
MRF-SEA, along with the 15th MEU and CTF 76/3, played a crucial role in the success of the HADR demonstration as it was one of the defining events of KAMANDAG 8. “We did a tabletop exercise through the humanitarian aid disaster response to walk through the plan and rehearse it, and then we were able to execute the plan for the demonstration, near flawlessly, on time, effectively, and safely,” said Demaso.
Elements from the LSB and the 4MBDE conducted their ship-to-shore movement using two MV-22 Ospreys attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 165 (Reinforced) 15th MEU, launched from the USS Miguel Keith, an expeditionary staging base assigned to CTF-76/3.
Simultaneously, an amphibious insertion involving combined military forces and Philippine relief agencies was executed using small boats, ensuring rapid notional link-up with local government officials. This set the stage for the rapid deployment of forces and assistance in the simulated disaster response.
In the days leading up to the demonstration, Marines and Sailors of MRF-SEA used the RQ-20 PUMA to showcase its capabilities in the search-and-rescue component of a HA/DR mission.
Additionally, MRF-SEA’s tactical air control party conducted successful pick-up and landing zone operations, allowing for the safe and efficient unloading of relief supplies and multilateral disaster relief teams. These efforts also expedited the evacuation of casualties, who were transported to a higher echelon of medical care aboard U.S. Navy vessels.
In a major step toward enhancing multilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, MRF-SEA, in collaboration with CTF-76/3 and the 15th MEU, successfully integrated with the PMC and JGSDF, testing the readiness of the multinational forces to respond to real-world emergencies.
“This successful execution of this HADR training and demonstration marks a significant launch of the Philippines and Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which was enacted just three months ago,” said Capt. Will Thomas, a joint terminal attack controller with MRF-SEA.
The Philippines and Japan RAA is a defense cooperation agreement that allows for the increased presence of Japanese troops in the Philippines and vice versa for humanitarian missions, disaster response, and other scenarios. This agreement streamlines coordination between the two nations during combined operations or mutual defense needs.
Unified efforts between U.S., Philippine, and Japanese forces demonstrated their ability to conduct effective disaster response operations in challenging environments, further strengthening regional preparedness for real-world scenarios.
The annual Philippine Marine Corps exercise highlighted MRF-SEA’s key role in strengthening multilateral cooperation within the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and reinforced future cooperation with U.S. allies and regional partners, enhancing collective readiness against environmental and security challenges.
