Manila -  1st Marine Air Wing, 3rd Marine Division and Philippine Marine Corps Battalion Landing Team 1 kicked-off this year’s second iteration of Aviation Assault Support Exercise (AASE) Monday, a three-week exercise designed to expand and promote cooperative training opportunities with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to enhance core skill proficiency and to increase operational readiness in ground and air operations.

The arrival of U.S. Marines and aircraft at Clark Air Base set the stage for a variety of upcoming bi-lateral engagements to include fast-rope repelling, casualty evacuation drills, day and night platoon size raids and integrated fires training. This exercise provides training, learning and instruction opportunities for all participants.

“It gives our guys a unique training environments that they are not use to, as well as an opportunity to learn from our Philippine counterparts,” said Lt. Col. Teodoro Apalisok, US Air Force operations officer, Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group. “We learn from them and they learn from us.”

The exercise is currently in its third year, each year containing two iterations.  Participating parties include U.S. Marine Corps, Philippine Air Force and Philippine Marine Corps. Unique to this year will be the unitization of new U.S. aircraft.

“Traditionally we have only used the MV-22 in this exercise to conduct many of the engagements,” said Apalisok. “However, this year we will be implementing the CH-53 and the UH-1Y helicopters.”

AASE will take place at Basa Air Base, Clark Air Base and Crow Valley Range.