Thousands of U.S. Marines not participating in annual war exercises
POSTED: 01:43 a.m. HST, Apr 03, 2011
MANILA >> About 3,000 U.S. Marines will not be able to join annual war exercises in the Philippines starting this week because they have to help in the relief work in quake- and tsunami-devastated Japan.
Philippine military spokesman Maj. Enrico Ileto said Sunday that civic missions such as school construction during the April 5-15 Balikatan exercises will proceed as planned, but some field maneuvers would be scaled back due to the U.S. relief activities in northeastern Japan.
U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Wossenyelesh Mazengia says about 3,000 Marines who were supposed to join the Philippine maneuvers have remained in Japan to help out.
About 6,000 Americans, along with 2,000 Filipino troops, were originally slated to join the Philippine exercises
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