Airdrop Operation

The Philippine Air Force has a new capability that has been in the works for a very long time. On September 16 in a joint operation with a Philippine Navy aircraft at Jolo airfield, Philippine Air Force Forward Air Controllers controlled a lived drop zone where two bundles of humanitarian relief bundles were dropped in a Low Cost Low Altitude (LCLA) airdrop operation. Since June of 2009, the Philippine Air Force Liaison Coordination Element, an element of the Joint Special Operation Task Force-Philippines, has been advising the Philippine Navy in LCLA operations so that they would eventually have this ability to support their own ground troops as well as provide humanitarian relief to isolated locations. This operation was also the first inter-service (Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force) airdrop operation of its kind at a forward deployed location.

New Chief Petty Officers

Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines (JSOTF-P) welcomed four Sailors to the rank of Chief Petty Officer September 16 during a Chief Petty Officer pinning ceremony held at Western Mindanao Command Headquarters. The new Chiefs include a Navy SEAL, a Special Warfare Combatant Crewmember, and two Seabees.

Gifts for Muslims

By Elena Aben, Manila Bulletin

As a message of partnership and caring to Muslim brothers who will be celebrating Eid al-Fitr or the end of fasting, US troops temporarily stationed in Mindanao together with Philippine soldiers jointly conducted a "Ramadan gift-giving" activity where they distributed food packages to residents from a remote village on the outskirts of Zamboanga City last Monday.

Lt. Cdr. David McKinney, Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines (JSOTF-P) deputy public affairs officer said some 200 families from Barangay Arena Blanco benefitted from the activity jointly conducted by the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) led by its commander, Lt. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino and the JSOTF-P headed by its commander, Capt. Robert Gusentine.

Arena Blanco is described as a poor community that does not have a good water source. More than 90 percent of its population are Muslim.

American and Philippine soldiers distributed packages that contain

basic items and some food stuff, which the residents can share with their family as Ramadan ends Friday.