FORT RAMON MAGSAYSAY, Palayan City – Ground commanders of the on-going 28th Balikatan joint military exercises between Filipino and US forces said at least two modern gadgets, including a high-powered firearm, were brought in by American troops for use and familiarization.
PFC. Ronnel Gragasin, a participant from the 50th Infantry brigade of the 5th Infantry Division said they were impressed with the new M-249 rifle which the US troops allowed them to use in live fire exercises.
Gragasin who participated in the live fire exercises at the Fernandez Hill of Special Forces here noticed that the M-249 rifle has a range of about 750 meters as against the 360 more or less of the M-16 Armalite rifle.
But American soldiers expressed surprise on the strength and speed of their Filipino counterparts in the execution of the maneuver. Some of them were even amazed on how Filipino armymen managed to run too fast in the night without night vision gadgets.
Col. Jack Plitchard, co-commander of the 28th Balikatan combined armed forces (Carfor), said the movements of troopers anywhere in the training areas can be monitored though the use of a tracking device that demonstrates the positioning as well as shooting patterns of both the US and Filipino platoons in the field.
Such soldiers who wear harness with laser-type monitors on their bodies and guns are represented by numbers on a wide screen monitor at the command base.
Plitchard said this technology is an opportunity for the troopers themselves, as well as officers, to review their strategies, including lapses and strengths.
Col. Roderick Parayno, a Carfor official, said the gadget called Instrumentation Training System Unit (iHits) produces “Google-earth-like” images.
It was the first time IHits was brought out of the American territories, an official said.
Plitchard who has been participating in Balikatan for three years now said this year’s edition is “the best yet.”
Besides military exercises, the joint forces also conducted civil military activities such as repair of classrooms in Barangay Callos, Penaranda, Nueva Ecija.
