JPMRC-X in the Philippines comes to a close

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Philippines — U.S. and Philippine Army soldiers and distinguished guests come together for the closing ceremony of the 2024 Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable exercise held at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, from June 1-10, 2024.

JPMRC-X featured approximately 1,500 troops assigned to the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division and 196th Infantry Brigade, and the Philippine Army’s 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions, as they worked side by side to enhance military readiness and interoperability with the goal of strengthening peace and security in the region. The exercise also highlighted subject matter expert exchanges between the U.S. and Philippine armies to provide instruction and learn best practices in several key functional areas, including movement and maneuver, fires, sustainment and protection.

“Over the last several months, the training has been absolutely world-class,” said Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans, 25th Infantry Division commander. “The ability to work alongside your division staff and soldiers has made us better war fighters, it’s increased our lethality, it’s developed cohesive teams between our two armies, and forged relationships that will continue to grow and prosper for generations to come.”

The exercise tested the U.S. Army’s strategic readiness and demonstrates the ability of the installation, material and sustainment enterprise to rapidly move Soldiers, equipment and supplies from the U.S. to the Indo-Pacific theater at scale.

“This exercise is a realization of our shared belief in the importance of training,” said Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, commander of the Philippine Army. “It serves as a way to enact a joint readiness and strengthen or cooperation allowing us to function more effectively in emerging situations as allies.”

The presence of U.S. forces and training alongside the Philippine Army is a tangible demonstration of U.S. security commitments to the Philippines and strengths both of our armies via tough physical and intellectual challenges.

“Over the last 10 days, these teams have shared hardships from the weather, the terrain, and relentless opposing force comprised of Soldiers from the United States Army and Scout Rangers from the Philippine Army,” said Evans.

As our oldest treaty ally in East Asia, the Philippines plays a key role in helping secure a free, open, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Through exercises like JPMRC-X, we enhance our ability to work together, building upon our collective strength towards ensuring a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region

“As the Philippine Army shifts its focus to territorial defense, training exercises like this remain a high relevance,” said Galido. “To this, our soldiers can be trained for more complex and realistic scenarios, large scale movement, and sustainment.”