Leaders from the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, 196th Infantry Brigade and the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division meet to discuss mission effectiveness during an after action review (AAR) which marks the mid-way point of the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable (JPMRC-X) exercise taking place at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, June 5, 2024.

An AAR provides feedback on what was supposed to happen versus what actually happened during the action in any given scenario. Once these talking points have been identified, sustains and improvements from the event are taken into consideration for future implementation.

Conducting a mid-exercise AAR during JPMRC-X is beneficial due to the fact that immediately after the meeting is over, all participants from both armies return to their areas of operations throughout the region to implement what was just discussed for a chance to right wrongs, try new tactics or repeat what was successful in previous scenarios.

“There’s nothing that we do in the 25th Infantry Division that’s more important than what we’re doing right here, right now,” said Brig. Gen. David Zinn, Deputy Commanding General of Operations, 25th Infantry Division. “Solutions to the things you all want to implement going forward, are going to come from you.”

As the Philippine Army aims to become a more conventional fighting force, JPMRC-X provides the U.S. Army the opportunity to assist their Philippine counterparts with on-the-spot feedback throughout the exercise provided by observer coach/trainers (OC/Ts) while working together to complete a series of different tasks. This also allows U.S. Soldiers to become familiar with the climate and terrain if ever the need arose to occupy the area in a real-world situation.

“We talk about safety. With safety comes sustainment. You can keep things going if you can sustain them,” said Col. Adisa King, Commander, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. “If the fight is going, it doesn’t matter how fast you go but how you can sustain the force.”

Along with commanders and ground troops, the AAR included representatives from sections such as logistics, who are in charge of providing supplies to ground forces, and communications, who secure ways to effectively communicate throughout the austere terrain. Knowing what works, or what may not work, on all fronts is the most important aspect of the overall success of JPMRC-X and any missions that follow.

“It was emphasized at the start of the exercise that we should over-communicate, and that is exactly what we did,” said Brig. Gen. Gulliver Señires, Commander, 702nd Combined Arms Brigade. “In the first three days, the issue was that we could not talk to our battalions. So Col. King and I decided to go out there and solve the issue. We were able to solve it by the end of day three.”

JPMRC-X provides a venue for both participating nations to advance interoperability, but most importantly, we both learn and grow during this exercise. We share values and people-to-people ties with the Philippines, which underpins our mutual trust, understanding, respect, interoperability, and common commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.