INSPIRING OTHERS. Active Army Reservist Sgt. Carlito Baurile Jr. works as a Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) instructor in his spare time to several university students in Cavite and nearby provinces. In the photo, he assists an ROTC cadet to do descending rappel as part of their disaster preparedness exercise. (Contributed photo by Jun Baurile)
MANILA – From maintaining the safety of his municipality as chief of security to teaching university students in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), Sgt. Carlito Baurile Jr. still finds time to help his community as an Army reservist.
Baurile works for Alfonso, Cavite Mayor Randy Salamat and he leads about 22 security officers in his team.
On weekends, he imparts to the students at several universities in Cavite and nearby provinces his military training and other useful skills they might need in the event of emergencies and calamities.
Baurile, 53, shared in an interview with the Philippine News Agency that he has always wanted to enter the military as a child, being raised by his soldier-father whose passion to serve the country he witnessed growing up.
“I have had several attempts to enter the military but there was always something that comes up – I did not pass the entrance exam when I first took it and when I had another chance, I was already with a family and my wife barred me from entering because we already have a child then,” he explained.
Not having the chance to become a soldier like his father was, Baurile settled to being a reservist in the Army.
“Pareho lang naman. Saka ang gusto ko talaga ay yung tumutulong, na pwede kang asahan ng ibang tao kapag may nangyari (It’s the same anyway. And I was really after helping those in need and they can count on you when something happens),” he added.
He said being in the reserve force in the Philippines gave him a “rewarding feeling” and he always sought ways to improve his skills and rank as well.
While serving, he had an opportunity to become a VIP Protection Agent.
The 402nd Community Defense Center offered him three-month training under a foreign instructor who was formerly the security personnel of a United States senator in 1995.
After he was certified and had his first VIP client, more people wanted his service due to referrals from previous employers.
“It became my bread and butter. It fed my family and it sent my children to school. It’s just amazing that my dream job, which is to protect people, has also become a good source of income. It was something that I wanted to do and in return, it has also given me something that I needed,” he added.
Baurile has been able to keep this job going and volunteer whenever the Army calls for back-up during relief or rescue operations. He even started a small group of responders in his Barangay in Luksuhing-Ibaba, a sitio situated far from the town’s poblacion where the district hospital was.
“We have educated the men in our area who are willing to learn some basic first aid skills, management, and organization in times of disasters,” he said adding that he and his men were among the first to respond to victims when Taal Volcano in nearby Batangas province erupted.
In another interview with Reservist and Retiree Affairs deputy chief of staff, Rear Admiral Ramil Roberto Enriquez, he said the primary goal of producing reservists is to equip civilians or the people on the ground the skills of the military.
“When disaster strikes, they know what to do and they can help other victims on the spot while help is on the way to them,” he added.
Military training for reservists
As part of their military training, the Army reservists engage in mobilization exercises (MOBEX) at least three times a year to ensure that they function well in times of need.
Maj. Eric Dema-ala, Reserve Force Utilization Branch chief, said that at least 420 personnel from the 303 Ready Reserve Infantry Battalion (RRIBn) went through several exercises for the weekends of October in 2019.
The RRIBn Battle Staff conducted the Military Decision-Making Process through Staff Exercise and Command Post Exercise.
The participants were taught on Infantry Operations, Mechanized Infantry Operations, Field Artillery Operations, Signal Operations, Combat Casualty Care, as well as Medical Evacuation and Casualty Evacuation.
The staff also taught them Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations that include crowd control, Individual Development Plan management, and Urban Search and Rescue in collapsed structures.
In an interview with Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, executive officer to the Assistant Chief of Staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs, he said MOBEX has paved the way for reservists to experience realistic missions where they work as teams to accomplish various tasks leading towards attaining the given mission.
“They were handed scenarios that provide them with a laboratory for continuous learning and adaptation in a complex environment. As a result, the reservists will learn to become better in everything that they do in their professional and personal lives,” he added.
In times of emergencies and calamities, the reservists are well-prepared and capable to act as first responders and/or force multipliers in the scene.
During the MOBEX, the reservists also develop their positive mental attitude towards work.
Through the challenges presented in the exercise, the reservists learn to innovate and become creative in their work. Most importantly, they will appreciate the value of professional development as citizen-soldiers who will be tasked to defend the country during external aggression.
The next MOBEX is scheduled for the second quarter this year at the 12 RCDG, Dema-ala said. (PNA)
