CROW VALLEY, Philippines -- Members of the Philippine Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps competed in friendly basketball matches May 5, here to mark the end of the opening day of Balikatan 2014.
Philippines Air Force Airman 2nd Class Jade Abug said a basketball game was a great way to spend the evening after training all day.
“After hard work, it's time to relax and play games, and have good camaraderie,” Abug said. “They were good competition.”
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Lorenzo Hernandez, a platoon sergeant from Santa Rosa, Calif., and member of 3rd Maintenance Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, said the game brought the two armed forces closer together.
“It was great to interact on that level and build camaraderie through sports,” Hernandez said. “And they're good. You can't underestimate them.”
Marine Staff Sgt. Anthony Davis, a maintenance chief from Newport News, Va., and a member of 3rd Maintenance Battalion, said friendly competition was a good way to build rapport with the Filipinos.
“They made us work for it and it helped build camaraderie,” Davis said. “I'm pretty sure we will have many more games to strengthen our bond with them.”
Balikatan is an annual training exercise that strengthens the interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military in their commitment to regional security and stability, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.