THE Joint Task Group Sulu celebrated its first year of activation last Thursday, October 1, with droves of stakeholders coming to their headquarters atop a mountain in Sulu.
The partnership of the JTGS with Sulu constituents, and with national, regional and provincial agencies, as well as with civil society organizations, private organizations and non-governmental organizations, has greatly helped in achieving its vision of bringing peace, progress and prosperity to Sulu.
In combat operations, the units under JTGS who have figured in its successful encounters are the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion under the Special Operations Task Group, the 32nd IB and 35th IB and other combat support units under the 501st Brigade, the 2nd Marine Brigade and all the battalions under it under the Naval Task Group, and the PAF’s Tactical Operation Squadron-Jolo.
Aside from its very successful combat accomplishments, the latest of which was the recovery of the two Coast Guard kidnap victims (KVs) on August 20, the JTGS, under the able leadership of BGen. Alan Arrojado, has also implemented out-of-the-box initiatives.
Some of these are “From Terrorism to Tourism” program; MediKalayaan at MusiKapayapaan; cacao, coconut, coffee and banana farm projects; and road for peace projects.
The JTGS recognizes the invaluable support of Sulu Gov.Toto Tan, Vice Gov. Sakur Tan, and the local chief executives of Sulu in many of its engagements with civil society.
The armed forces’ chief of staff, Gen. Hernado DC Iriberri, who is in Hawaii for the Chiefs of Defense Force meeting, asked BGen Arrojado to convey to the JTGS commanders and troops his “sincerest appreciation and pride for their selfless and untiring service.”
“I know the sacrifices that go in such operations. Let us never lose sight of the fact that the world is watching on how we impose the will of the government to neutralize the ASG and ultimately rescue the KVs.
Let us press the fight, keep the ASG on the run and make your Area of Operation inhospitable to the ASG,” Iriberri said. BEEN THERE DONE THAT/JOSEPHINE JARON-CODILLA
