Army readies battalions to fight NPA terrorists

CAMP GEN. MATEO CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal – The Battalion of Excellence (BOE) Training Program of the 1st Infantry “Always First” Battalion culminated on Monday at a fitting graduation ceremony at the 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division of the Philippine Army camp here.

Major General Rhoderick M. Parayno, Commander of the Army 2ID, who keynoted the graduation rite, said the newly trained battalion would play a vital role in accomplishing the critical task of destroying the NPA terrorists the soonest possible time.

Parayno said the return of the 1st IB to operational status early this year augured well to beef up excellently-trained battalions with both manpower and firepower to decimate terrorism owing to the recent terrorist attacks perpetrated by the NPAs, particularly in the Calabarzon whose victims are helpless and defenseless civilians.                                

“With your experiences in Marawi, new skills acquired from Australian counterparts during your Urban Warfare Training, and currently, with your capability enhancement thru the BOE program, I am confident that you are now more than ready and prepared to crash and defeat the NPAs or any terrorist group that will attempt to wreak havoc in our country,” he said.

Captain Patrick Jay M. Retumban, chief of the 2ID public affairs office, said that the Brigadier General Filemon D. Mamaril Jr. of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters  was assigned  by higher military authorities to facilitate the conduct of the Battalion Of Excellence Training.

The BOE training program is the centerpiece of the Philippine Army’s capability development and improvement of organizational performance.

It was intended to develop the performance of the Infantry Battalions in a combat capacity to perform the tasks and operations across the different mission areas where the battalions are projected to operate.

 The three-month training, which started December last year, was handled by the BOE Mobile Training Team (MTT) from Land Warfare Center, Training Doctrine Command.

It involved intelligence operations training, mortar gunnery, live fire on mortar and crew-served weapons, rifle marksmanship training, proper utilization and maintenance of communications, electronics and information (CEIS) equipment, physical fitness test, stress management seminar, squad and platoon run, and field training exercises.  

The 1st Infantry “Always First” Battalion headed by Lt. Col. Jonathan S. Manio is the second beneficiary of the BOE Excellence Mobile Training on rigorous battalion training that also requires intensive teamwork operations, stamina, perseverance and the endurance spirit. (Pau Mojar/PNA)