CAPAS, Tarlac — Philippine Army Commanding General Lieutenant General Macairog Alberto lauded the commitment of troops to the Transformation and Marksmanship Program.
“In line with our vision of being a world-class Army, that is respected and revered by its contemporaries, the crafting of the Comprehensive Marksmanship Program that is part of global standards is an affirmation of our firm commitment to the Philippine Army’s Transformation and Development Program,” Alberto said during the Closing Ceremony of the 2019 Philippine Army Marksmanship Assessment and Evaluation (PAMAE).
Started in 2016, PAMAE serves as a simulation of the ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet (AARM).
“Through PAMAE, we are able to produce the best shooters in the Philippine Army, but more importantly, we produce the marksmanship instructors in our Philippine Army Major Units (PAMU) Training Schools and this translates to better marksmanship performance in the field of combat,” Alberto said.
For this year, there were 73 participants from the PAMUs wherein 33 represented Luzon, 15 for Visayas and 25 represented Mindanao.
The shooters competed in various categories including pistol match for men and women, rifle event, carbine match and machine gun match.
All contingents underwent series of matches in accordance to the regulations set by the AARM.
“Friendly competitions such as these, enable us to hone our skills to achieve victory. Win or lose, I encourage everyone to continue harnessing and upgrading the expertise of our soldiers. Every soldier should be a marksman, not just in competitions but more importantly in the battlefield where it truly counts,” he emphasized.
“Given the responsibilities of our profession as protectors of our nation’s sovereignty, training, practicing and mastering our marksmanship skills are imperatives with the ultimate goal of achieving perfection. With quick and accurate delivery of small arms fire, we gain superiority over the enemy to win our country’s battles for a just and lasting peace,” Alberto added.
“As we go along with this program, let us keep in mind the essence of this conduct, this is our professional commitment to better serve our nation by enhancing professionalism of our personnel from the Army’s combat units,” he furthered.