Students get firsthand look at Philippine, U.S. militaries

  • Published
  • By Gunnery Sgt. Cindy Fisher
  • Balikatan 2010 Public Affairs
CLARK, Philippines --  About 300 Philippine elementary students visited the flight line here March 15 to visit with members of the Philippine and U.S. militaries participating in Balikatan 2010.

The students, about 200 from Sapang Bato Elementary School in nearby Angeles City and the rest from Clark Elementary School, were invited to the flight line as part of an Armed Forces of the Philippines community outreach program during Balikatan 2010, according to Philippine Capt. Maribelle B. Managbao, a Philippine military spokesperson.

Balikatan 2010 is a Philippine government-approved and U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed annual bilateral exercise with Philippine military personnel, select experts from Philippine civil defense agencies, and the U.S. military.

Balikatan means "shoulder to shoulder" in the Philippine language Tagalog, reflecting the intent of the exercise: to strengthen the Mutual Defense Treaty relationship between Philippine and U.S. forces established in 1951.

Senior Master Sgt. Nicole Johnson, first sergeant for the U.S. Air Force personnel at Balikatan 2010, said the community relations event gave the students an up-close look the strong U.S.-Philippine partnership.

"[Coming to the air base] gives them a chance to see outside their town and to see the Philippine and U.S. forces working together," said Sergeant Johnson, deployed to the exercise from 13th Air Force at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii.

During the visit, Philippine Air Force and U.S. Air Force aircraft were on display. Children had the opportunity to walk through the belly of a U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk, sit in the cockpit of a U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II, and view a Philippine Air Force MD 520 helicopter.

The children, fourth- through sixth-graders, also learned about an Armed Forces of the Philippines fire truck and operated a fire hose with the help of Philippine and U.S. participants. They also saw static displays of other military equipment.

For many of the children, this was their first contact with either military, according to Sanpang Bato Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Luz Manialung.

"It was great to bring them here," she said.

Meeting the servicemembers and seeing the aircraft was an eye-opening experience for many of the children, according to Daisy R. Dilm, a fourth-grade math teacher at Sanpang Bato Elementary.

For some of the students, this will also be the "first time to see an actual airplane, as they only see them when they are flying," Ms. Dilm said.

Helping children in the local community gain a better understanding of the Philippine and the U.S. militaries and interact with their servicemembers was the goal of the visit, Captain Managbao said.

Philippine Air Force Capt. Maynard P. Mariano said he thinks the visit did just that.

"This will bring more awareness to these kids, and let them know the armed forces are helping them to reach their dreams," Captain Mariano said.

Throughout the tour of the aircraft and the static displays, the children asked endless questions of the participating Philippine and U.S. personnel, and many took advantage of the chance to get into the different aircraft.

For 10-year-old Brixon B. Laxa, climbing the side of an A-10 to sit in the plane's cockpit was a high point of the trip, he said.

"It was good to get in the cockpit, but very, very high," the fourth-grader said with a grin.