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GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY HELD FOR RUNWAY

Marine Corps News

Release Date: 1/23/2004

Story by SSgt. Nathan L. Hanks Jr.

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija, Philippines -- Philippine and U.S. Government officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for the repair and rehabilitation of the runway here, Jan. 21.

Witnessing the milestone event were U.S. and Philippine military officials, local government dignitaries and Joseph Mussomeli, chargé d'affaires, U.S. Embassy Manila. The guest of honor was Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Standing "shoulder to shoulder", the Combined Republic of the Philippines-United States Military Construction Task Group, known as Task Force Magsaysay, will be coordinating and conducting the runway project together.

According to Mussomeli, the runway construction project is a product of strong U.S.-Philippine relations.

"This is the largest Exercise Related Construction project that U.S. Pacific Command has ever done," he said. "Another is that Pacific Command's budget for all of Asia is only one-and-a-half million dollars for this type of construction, and well over fifty percent of that is going to the Philippines."

Attending this historical moment was U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Kenneth J. Glueck, commanding general, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

"This project will allow not only for a special bond between our forces that will work together on the construction effort but additionally enable future training opportunities and contribute to better interoperability," Glueck said.

Once the runway is completed, it will be capable of receiving C-130 aircraft, which will significantly increase air mobility and logistics. It will also promote regional economic growth and facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance after natural disasters. This runway project is the U.S. Pacific Fleet's Seabees' centerpiece ERC for fiscal year 2004. The project is scheduled for completion by July of this year.

"This project is an ideal bilateral military training opportunity for U.S. and Philippine engineering units," said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Spiro C. Colaitis, commander, Task Force Magsaysay. "The scales, scope and complexity of the runway project will ensure substantial training benefits for the RP-US integrated team."

For U.S. Navy Seabee Robert D. Goldberg, a construction mechanic with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1, Gulfport, Miss., this is his first time in the Philippines.

"When we first arrived, we had a few mechanical problems but nothing we could not handle," he said. "I am looking forward to getting the construction started."

As the ceremony came to a close, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had this to say.

"This airport is being built by the American And Philippine military.civilians are now coming and wanting to land here. So now I'm giving notice to the proper officials, I already told Gen. Narciso Abaya, chief of staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines, that this airport will be used not only by soldiers, but also by passengers and products of Nueva Ecija. This is one way to create more jobs here in Nueva Ecija. This airport will move the north and east of Nueva Ecija closer to trade and industry. Jobs will increase and to even make it better, we will match it with a pier in Dinggalan. This is a part of the dream that we are fighting for a better future for ordinary Nueva Ecijanos, which is why I am happy."

Task Force Magsaysay is made up of approximately 30 Air National Guardsmen from 254th Civil Engineer Squadron located on the island of Guam. More than 100 U.S. Navy Seabees from three units: 9th Naval Construction Regiment, Dallas, Texas; Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1, Gulfport, Miss, and Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3, Port Hueneme, Calif., are included. Approximated 200 Philippine Army Engineers and Seabees from the Naval Construction Brigade and the 51st Engineer Brigade, plus numerous local construction and support contractors are integrated into a task organized engineer team.