The close military ties between the Philippines and the United States were further demonstrated in the bilateral meeting of the chiefs of the Philippine Army (PA) and US Army Pacific (USARPAC) on Tuesday.

In a statement Wednesday, PA chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. thanked USARPAC chief Gen. Charles Flynn for providing military assistance and technical intelligence to PA which proved instrumental in defeating ISIS-inspired terrorists that attacked and occupied Marawi City in 2017.

“We just want to express our gratitude for all the support that you have been giving the Philippine Army through our trainings, exchanges, and exercises,” Brawner said.

Brawner also told the USARPAC chief that the PA is planning to send this year a company-size delegation to the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center in Hawaii.

Flynn, meanwhile, congratulated Brawner for his recent designation as PA chief and his promotion to three-star rank.

The USARPAC chief added that his command is willing to share lessons and expertise in the creation of quick reaction deployable brigade combat teams in order to enhance the combined arms capability of the PA.

Brawner, in his command guidance, has vowed to enhance the skills of soldiers which is one of the most important resources of the PA to further bolster the capabilities of the Army units towards accomplishing their missions. (PNA)