By JEFFREY M. TUPAS
CARMEN, North Cotabato (PNA) — Filipino soldiers shone in the marksmanship training of the ongoing Philippine-US counter-terrorism exercises here despite defects in several of their firearms.
The Filipino soldiers involved in the marksmanship exercise, all of them members of the 6th Marine Landing Team of the 2nd Marine Brigade, showed that nobody could beat them here as far as their shooting skills are concerned.
The Filipino troops impressed their American trainers, including Filipino-American Sgt. 1st Class Dante Garcia of the US Army’s Special Forces, by their efficiency and accuracy in firing their rifles.
“Some of the rifles malfunctioned. That’s our problem. But we have to continue training them (Filipino soldiers) — no matter what. I think they will benefit something good from what we have been teaching them,” Garcia said.
American military trainers described, however, such things as normal occurrences in the training they handled before the “Balance Piston” exercises here participated by some 180 Filipino and American soldiers.
They said that while some of the M16 rifles used in the exercise failed to work, they have to continue with the training and work with what the soldiers have.
Garcia, a native of Iloilo, called the Filipino soldiers as “accurate shooters.”
The exercises, Garcia said, will allow them to assess the level of the shooting skills of the Filipino soldiers. From this, he said, they will be able to find where to “zero in on them.”
“We took them back to basics. There is a need for more and constant exercises,” he said.
Sergeant Melrose, another US marksmanship trainer who did not give his first name, said most of the Filipino soldiers are good shooters.
“They had a good grasp of the fundamentals of the marksmanship training. For those who did not do well, there’s always room for improvement,” he commented.
Melrose said Philippine Marine soldier PFC Aldin Lumabe, who perforated his firing sheet with consistency and accuracy, impressed him much.
Lumabe, who has experienced three wars — in Sulu, Basilan and Pikit town in 2003 — said there is almost nothing new in the training that they are getting from the Americans, noting that things are different in the war zone.
“The theory is good. The practice is good. But the situation is different in the war,” Lumabe said.
