The Philippine Army (PA) and the Australian Army kicked off the second phase of the Philippines-Australia Army-to-Army Exercise (PAAAE) “Kasangga” in Tanay, Rizal on Monday, June 5.
Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., commanding general of the Philippine Army (PA), delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the Philippines-Australia Army-to-Army Exercise (PAAAE) “Kasangga” at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal on June 5, 2023. (Photo courtesy of PA)
The opening ceremony of the Kasangga exercise was held at the headquarters of the 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) at Camp Capinpin.
Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr., PA commanding general, and Col. Paul Joseph Barta, Australian defense attache to the Philippines, graced the ceremony along with officials of the 2ID and the participants to the training.
Brawner highlighted the importance of Kasangga, which translates to “partnership,” in bolstering the interoperability of Filipino and Australian troops.
“Kasangga is the realization of our shared belief in the importance of training, readiness, and interoperability with partners, particularly in the context of the current international security environment,” Brawner shared.
The second phase of the training involves 122 soldiers from the 22nd Division Reconnaissance Company (22DRC) of 2ID and the Australian Army.
They will train in a number of drills focusing on urban operations, combat tracking, jungle warfare and survival, long-range marksmanship, tactical combat casualty care; sensitive site exploitation; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations; and small unit leader’s training.
The training will culminate on June 25.
The opening ceremony for the Kasangga Phase II was held simultaneously with the closing of Kasangga Phase I which began on May 15.
The first phase was attended by 114 Filipino soldiers from the 21st DRC of 2ID and 43 Australian troopers.
This year’s Kasangga exercise is the 13th iteration of PAAAE between PA and the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The current iteration of PAAAE is anchored on the Philippines-Australia Defense Engagement Plan for July 2022 to July 2023.