Military

Some confusion over the exercise’s name has arisen, because Philippine officials
repeatedly have referred to it as an expanded Balikatan exercise.

"We’re just calling it training right now," said an official for the
U.S. Pacific Command in Honolulu. "It’s certainly not Balikatan."

The annual Balikatan exercise involves combined training of U.S. and Philippine joint
forces in sea, land and air war tactics. That exercise will occur as scheduled in April
and May on the Philippine island of Luzon, where it always has been held.

Balikatan is separate from the current exercise in Mindanao, in which U.S. Special
Forces will accompany Philippine troops to root out Abu Sayyaf terrorists on the jungle
island of Basilan.

"It’s not the traditional Balikatan joint training we hold every
spring," PACOM spokesman Maj. Sean Gibson said. "This is training that has been
requested by the government of the Philippines. Whatever it gets called is irrelevant. The
substance or action we take to train, assist and advise is the important element."