U.S. and Philippine troops fire at will during joint military exercises amid regional tensions over North Korean threats and maritime territory disputes.
The soldiers held live-fire drills in Crow Valley, north of the capital Manila, taking time to study U.S. war tactics.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOSH GELERTER, U.S. OFFICER IN CHARGE OF MARINE FORCES IN CROW VALLEY, SAYING:
"One of the things we want to achieve is after 10 years of war, the U.S. military has a lot of new tactics, new technology and new techniques for training that we are hoping to pass on to the Armed Forces of the Philippines."
This Filipino lieutenant described the training as invaluable.
In return, U.S. troops learned tricks of the trade when it comes to surviving off the land.
The war games, involving 8,000 American and Filipino soldiers, are designed to test each country's defences as part of treaties supporting ally forces in the region.
