3D Marine Expeditionary Brigade

From left, Armed Forces of the Philippines Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, commander, Southern Luzon Command; Sung Y. Kim, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines; Undersecretary Cardozo M. Luna, Undersecretary of the Department of National Defense; Armed Forces of the Philippines Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, AFP chief of staff; and U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Eric M. Smith, commanding general, III Marine Expeditionary Force stand “shoulder-to-shoulder” during the Exercise Balikatan closing ceremony held at Tejeros Hall, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Manila, Philippines, April 12, 2019. The ceremony represented the official conclusion of Balikatan 2019 and showed that the United States and the Republic of the Philippines continue to stand “shoulder-to-shoulder.” Exercise Balikatan, focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Trystan Jordan)

U.S. and Philippine Marines go from ship to shore in Assault Amphibious Vehicles during an amphibious landing exercise at the Naval Education and Training Command training area, Zambales, Philippines, April 11, 2018 in support of exercise Balikatan 2019. Balikatan is an annual U.S.-Philippine exercise focused on various types of military training, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter-terrorism, and other combined military operations held from April 1 to April 12. Balikatan helps participating forces maintain a high level of readiness and responsiveness and enhances combined military-to-military relations and capabilities. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isaiah Campbell)

U.S. Army combat engineers assigned to 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division detonate explosives while performing a breach allowing forces to continue to move forward while participating in a Combined Arms Live-Fire Exercise during Balikatan 2019 at Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base, Philippines, April 10, 2019. Balikatan is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercise in its 35th iteration which focuses on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, counter-terrorism, and other combined military operations held from April 1 to April 12. Balikatan is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercise in its 35th iteration which focuses on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, counter-terrorism, and other combined military operations held from April 1 to April 12. Balikatan enables participating forces to maintain a high level of readiness and responsiveness and enhances combined military-to-military relations and capabilities. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class John Etheridge)

U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Hiroya Ako, left, observes as Philippine Army 1st Lt. Arlyn Luzon injects a dental patient with a local anesthetic during a cooperative health engagement at Bulsa, San Juan, Batangas, Philippines, April 5, 2019 as part of Exercise Balikatan. U.S. Sailors with 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, are working with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Australian Defence Forces to support local communities throughout the Philippines. Procedures and lessons learned throughout the exercise events strengthen U.S.-Philippine relationships, increase interoperability with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and enhance operational readiness. Ako, a dentist with 3rd Dental Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, is a native of Seattle, Washington. Luzon, a dentist with the 1303rd Dental Dispensary, is native of Taguig City, Philippines. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mark Fike)

From left, Armed Forces of the Philippines Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, commander, Southern Luzon Command, and Philippine Exercise Co-Director; Undersecretary Cardozo M. Luna, Undersecretary of the Department of National Defense; Sung Y. Kim, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines; Armed Forces of the Philippines Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., AFP Chief of Staff; and U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Christopher A. McPhillips, commanding general, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade stand shoulder-to-shoulder at Tejeros Hall, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Manila, Philippines, April 1, 2019. The ceremony represented the official commencement of Balikatan 2019 and the continued partnership between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines. Balikatan 19, in its 35th iteration, is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations held from April 1 to April 12. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Trystan Jordan)