JOINTNESS, or the working together of forces towards the accomplishment of military objectives, is being used more and more now in the Philippines and in other countries because of its successes. The main reason is to maximize capabilities because of limited government resources. Thus, the capabilities of land, sea, air and water, including personnel of the three branches of service, are readily provided usually to a task group or task force for a specific purpose or mission.
According to Lt. Col. M. Fernando Reyeg, Commanding Officer of the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion in Basilan, the concept of jointness has already been working successfully for a time in the province. But because I see no recent military operations in the province now, I think the success of jointness can be best measured in areas where there are current military operations like Sulu.
The Joint Task Group Sulu (JTGS) under Col. Alan Arrojado is successfully employing the concept of joint operations, although it has experienced the usual “birthing pains” in the initial weeks of its deployment in Sulu straight from Northern Luzon. The most common dilemma of a task group commander is how to harmonize the efforts of the different AFP units that traditionally have been working as individual units.
In my visit to Sulu the past week, I was amazed at the very harmonious relationships under the JTGS roof between different army unit representatives as well as those from the Philippine Navy and Marines, Philippine Air Force and the Philippine National Police. It was not so the last time I was there in January.
In fact, in the latest encounter of the JTGS operatives in Sulu on Thursday where 2 soldiers from the 32nd IB led by Ltc. Greg Nieveras were killed and 15 were wounded, immediately, soldiers from the 35th IB led by Ltc. Mars Gayat , from Marine Battalion Landing Team 2, and the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion led by Ltc. Eugenio Boquio conducted blocking positions, the PNP established checkpoints, the PAF’s Tactical Operations Squadron provided Close Air Support, and the A Battery of the 8th Field Artillery Battalion provided fire support.
The two wounded officers and an enlisted personnel were immediately airlifted by nomad plane to Zamboanga City, while PG-381, a Navy boat, is now on its way to Zamboanga City bearing the cadavers of the 2 KIA personnel. BEEN THERE DONE THAT/JOSEPHINE JARON-CODILLA
