Okinawa Marine’s Deployment to Philippines Yields Unexpected Realizations

A commentary by Cpl. Heather Golden in the May 8 edition of the Okinawa Marine newspaper highlights an important aspect of U.S. Pacific Command’s military exercise program.

As a result of her participation in exercise Balikatan in April, Cpl. Golden bonded with a Filipino child and made other friends, as well. Her commentary shares her insights on the experience, learning that “people are the same wherever you go.”

Strategic aims such as maintaining a robust military capability, deterring military aggression, developing cooperative security arrangements, and expanding relationships with allies and partners are pillars of the Pacific Command (PACOM) strategy. At the end of the day, though, individual Marines like Cpl. Golden and her fellow service members are the faces and personalities of this strategy, and execute it at the tactical level, daily during exercises and other military-to-military engagements throughout the PACOM area of responsibility.

Partnership, readiness, and presence covers a wide spectrum, with the benefits of such reaching all the way down to the individual service member.

Cpl. Golden’s commentary can also be viewed on the Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System website.