Philippines May Allow Greater U. S. Military Presence

[FlyAway]

Jolo or Basilan would be a good place for the U.S. Navy. Deck guns should provide pin point accuracy anywhere on those islands.

[Art2ro]

I personally wouldn't mind if the U.S. military returned to the Philippines, because it just may benefit a lot of the retired miliray members and their families that have been long ignored concerning their TRICARE health care medical coverage in the Philippines! Here's an example of what I'm talking about, sad but true and a lot of retirees are just biting the bullet and waiting to die on their death beds instead of being a financial burden to their immediate family: http://www.stripes.c...e-care-1.161832

Edited January 28, 2012 by Art2ro

[Bruce]

I personally wouldn't mind if the U.S. military returned to the Philippines, because it just may benefit a lot of the retired miliray members and their families that have been long ignored concerning their TRICARE health care medical coverage in the Philippines! Here's an example of what I'm talking about, sad but true and a lot of retirees are just biting the bullet and waiting to die on their death beds instead of being a financial burden to their immediate family: http://www.stripes.c...e-care-1.161832

From a management stand point, this is easily fixed and controlled. Having 1 high level hospital in Manila and 1 on Cebu and 1 on Mindanao for all surgeries and follow up care as well as smaller local providers for day to day needs, the vast majority of the 8,000 covered retirees can be taken care of. Medications can be dispensed via agreements with Mercury / Rose pharmacies that are all over the Philippines.By Tricare using an outside contractor instead of a veterans group in the Philippines to manage the payouts, is a large part of the problem. Does anyone have any idea of the vast amount of qualified ex military management experience is 'there' just sitting in these vet groups? Edited January 28, 2012 by Bruce

[Art2ro]

There are already authorized TRICARE health care providers of major hospitals, pharmacies like Mercury and doctors in place! It's the reimbursement of TRICARE's policies and procedures that is the problem for the past 10 years! Military retirees now have to come up with all the up front cash before and after their release from the hospital and file their own claims after the fact and sometimes the claims have been denied due to whatever reasons worth thousands of dollars! In the U.S. TRICARE's reimbursement policies doesn't exist, because the hospitals bills TRICARE directly and they get paid directly by TRICARE! So, do you see the unfairness of it all for military retires residing overseas? This TRICARE fiasco is a long long story to explain!

Edited January 28, 2012 by Art2ro

[Jollygoodfellow]

And the trouble begins

Protest against greater US role in Philippines

(AFP) – 2 hours ago

MANILA — Philippine activists picketed the US embassy on Saturday and burned a cardboard American flag and mock stealth bomber, vowing to launch a campaign opposing a plan to allow more US troops in the country.

About 50 members of the leftist New Nationalist Alliance (Bayan) also held a huge effigy of Uncle Sam with another of Philippine President Benigno Aquino labelled as his "dog", as riot police prevented them approaching the mission.

"If we allow more US troops to enter our country, the entire archipelago will be transformed into one military outpost for US hegemonic interests," Bayan said in a statement distributed at the rally.

Philippine officials have welcomed plans for a greater presence from the military of its former colonial ruler, seeing it as a counterbalance to recent Chinese aggressiveness in the South China Sea.

China and the Philippines have territorial disputes over the South China Sea and Manila has accused Beijing of using intimidation to press its claims.

The Philippines previously hosted huge US military bases until the Philippine Senate, stirred by nationalist opposition of groups like Bayan, voted to close them down in 1992.

US and Philippine officials say they are not interested in new US bases but merely in more joint exercises and more US troops rotating through the country.

While Filipinos are largely pro-American, small but vocal groups in the media and influential Roman Catholic church are fervently opposed to a US presence.

International affairs specialist Rene de Castro said the Philippine government would have to carefully explain its decision to overcome such anti-American sentiment.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ijt7jrVGdCRbUhlenE8fu9r3esOQ?docId=CNG.88661912fa1869e1cddaa95f2c97bf40.871

[Art2ro]

But yet, the push is still on for greater U.S. presence in the Philippines!http://ph.news.yahoo...-063141008.html Philippines flags greater US military presenceForeign Secretary Albert Del Rosario said the Philippines was looking for more joint military exercises with its former colonial ruler, as well as having a greater number of US troops rotating through the Southeast Asian country."It is to our definite advantage to be exploring how to maximise our treaty alliance with the United States in ways that would be mutually acceptable and beneficial," del Rosario said in a statement.Admiral Robert Willard, head of the US Pacific Command, welcomed the offer, saying the US was looking for ways to bring troops into Southeast Asia without the costs of permanent bases.In his statement, del Rosario said a greater US military presence in the Philippines would help bolster regional security."Such cooperative efforts would as well result in achieving a balance of influence to ensure peace, stability, and economic development in the region," he said.Nevertheless, del Rosario and other officials emphasised there were no plans to allow a return of the large-scale US military bases that existed in the Philippines until 1992, when Filipino senators voted to close them down."The Philippines is now playing the US card to get more leverage against China," said Rommel Banlaoi, head of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research.Rene de Castro, a lecturer in international studies at De la Salle University said: "We are playing the balance of power game because we have no means to deal with an emergent and very assertive China."In a strategic shift that has angered China, the United States has been looking to increase its military presence across the Asia Pacific.US President Barack Obama said in November the United States would deploy up to 2,500 Marines to northern Australia. The next month a US admiral wrote that the US expected to station several combat ships in Singapore.

[Higg-num]

Any reasonable person who studies history & loves democracy /freedom would say what bruce stated concerning the U.S. Military WAS true & the U.S. meant business. That time has past more or less. I'll forgo the history lesson as many here have BTDT.However, if, for recent example, we look @ the first 30 day push through fallujha ( Do not know how the musl-animal spells it ) WE lost NOT ONE FOXTROTTING Marine ! Then politics got involved. Political correctness and so on. Good men died. Same as in mogadishu, panama ( Operation " Just cause " ) & a ton of other combat jumps and missions.Bottom line; Take the freaking reins off. Most Americans agree, the U.S. should never " pick " a fight but if a country steps up to the position of a threat to us or one of our traditional, proven allies ( Like the Philippines ) Unleash the storm and let the trouble makers reap the whirlwind.

[Bruce]

Any reasonable person who studies history & loves democracy /freedom would say what bruce stated concerning the U.S. Military WAS true & the U.S. meant business. That time has past more or less. I'll forgo the history lesson as many here have BTDT.However, if, for recent example, we look @ the first 30 day push through fallujha ( Do not know how the musl-animal spells it ) WE lost NOT ONE FOXTROTTING Marine ! Then politics got involved. Political correctness and so on. Good men died. Same as in mogadishu, panama ( Operation " Just cause " ) & a ton of other combat jumps and missions.Bottom line; Take the freaking reins off. Most Americans agree, the U.S. should never " pick " a fight but if a country steps up to the position of a threat to us or one of our traditional, proven allies ( Like the Philippines ) Unleash the storm and let the trouble makers reap the whirlwind.

I also am not sure how to spell Falluja, but I do know how to spell F U E L- A I R-B O M B! One of the nice things about Viet nam was that any 2nd LT with a radio could unleash pure hell on a location before there was any command interference! If the ground pounder said he needed help, he got help and the questions were asked later.And now, Mayor Bloomberg of NYC is not allowing any parades for the returning troops.... because Washington does not want to send the 'wrong message' to the muslim community...... However Missouri is having a parade....... Edited January 29, 2012 by Bruce

[Higg-num]

Your lastest post made me laugh Bruce. Well the part about a butter bar calling in death from above. Ah...the good ole days.

[Art2ro]

http://ph.news.yahoo...-194803724.htmlU.S. has "no desire" for new military bases in AsiaWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is placing renewed priority on Asia asit winds down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but has no desire for new bases inthe region, the head of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific said on Friday.Admiral Robert Willard, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, said the military'sgoal is to have a network of places close to the sea lanes of Southeast Asiawhere American forces can visit on rotation, avoiding the costly maintenance ofbases."There is no desire nor view right now that the U.S. is seeking basing optionsanywhere in the Asia-Pacific theater," he told reporters in Washington.