LAOAG, Philippines — Civil affairs teams made up of U.S. Marines, U.S. Army Soldiers, and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines conducted civil military operations throughout the Philippines April 10 – 28, 2023, as part of Balikatan 23.

Civil military operations allow U.S. commanders to gain an increased understanding of what kind of impact their decisions have on the local populace from the perspective of those who would be affected. This understanding of the civil environment is vital to making informed decisions that respect the citizens of the Philippines while ensuring that the Philippine-U.S. security alliance is strengthened through the tough, realistic training of Balikatan 23.

The civil affairs teams gain understanding of their assigned areas by conducting engagements with local leaders, and members of the local population, and performing assessments of physical locations. Engagements in the Philippines are usually with barangay leaders, which are local neighborhood administrations, as well as with business leaders and law enforcement officials. Receiving commentary from different organizations helps fill a complete picture of the civil environment.

Staying true to the meaning of the Tagalog word Balikatan, meaning “shoulder-to-shoulder,” U.S. civil affairs teams have been completely integrated with their AFP counterparts.

“Working with the Armed Forces of the Philippines is the key to making all of this possible,” said U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Miguel Chacon, a civil affairs specialist assigned to 3d Civil Affairs Group, Force Headquarters Group, Marine Forces Reserve. “In order to truly understand the community and improve on quality of life, we, along with our AFP counterparts, get to spend time with Filipinos and have conversations to understand their perspective.”

Building and maintaining relationships is another key component of Balikatan 23, and the interpersonal nature of civil military operations facilitates strong relationship-building between U.S. Forces and the AFP.

“We are allies, we are partners, and even though it’s me specifically that they’re meeting, they know that I’m a United States Marine. And that relationship will carry on to the next Balikatan and the next teams that work with the AFP and vice versa,” said Chacon, an Owatonna, Minnesota native.

The civil affairs Marines supporting Balikatan 23 are part of 3rd Civil Affairs Group, Force Headquarters Group, Marine Forces Reserve. Marine Corps Civil Affairs Groups are specialized units, unique to Marine Forces Reserve, that provide operational depth and options to supported commanders. Being a reserve-only capability means that these Marines can draw on their experiences in their civilian professions to better operate in a civil affairs capacity.

“I have a nine-to-five job where I work with civilians and non-military people,” said Chacon. “So from that perspective, having those different switches, I know when I need to turn it on, and be Staff Sgt. Chacon, who’s in charge of a platoon, for example, versus when I’m in my civilian job, and it’s just me. Reservists are able to provide that almost civilian aspect that sometimes gets lost when your nine-to-five is working on a base with other Marines or U.S. armed forces.”

“Exercises like Balikatan provide opportunities for strangers from different parts of the world who likely would have never met, to break bread together, talk about our families, and ultimately leave a long-lasting and positive impact on each other,” said Chacon.

The civil affairs mission of Balikatan 23 is advancing United States and Philippine combined interoperability, and increasing respective understanding of each nation’s cultures, keeping with the spirit of the 38th iteration of the annual bilateral exercise.