The PATC training ground for AFP soldiers

Media

Part of Philippine Armed Forces Journal

Title
The PATC training ground for AFP soldiers
Language
English
Source
Philippine Armed Forces Journal Volume 6 (No. 6) November 1953
Year
1953
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Fulltext
8y Ctptain ENRIQUE HR. A.BIL~ C N the 15th of this month. thP Gen Claro B. Lir.ardo, now retired. Phiiippine Arn1y Training Com- Since then, this Unit has gone through mand will .:clebn.te the secowl several deactivations and activations, .anniversary of 1ts foundation. designations and redesignations. But Nt'!itleU withi:-: the military reservation throu~h all these stages of metamorpho. of historic Ft. Wm. McKinley, Riznl, sis, the present.day Philippine Army the PATC is the answer to the mcrea. Training Command has generally re~ sing need of the Armed Forces nf the tained Its original mission-the building Philippines for more fighting soldiers, up of. the nation's trained reserves, the more technically qualified army pers011~ bulwr.rk of our citizen army, nel. and an efficient corps of reserves. These trained reserves come from the ~even years ago, the advent of Phil- yE"at·ly groups of 20-year.old draftees, ippine indPpendence brought with it, from ROTC cadets, from replacements alons.:- with the blessings of democracy, for tho various AFP unit<; in the field, tt.e manifold problems of a newly born and from the ranks of reserve officet;s. Republk. One of thest is the urgent The objectives of the Military TrainneE"d of strengthPning our Armed Fot·~ ing Command as contained in training ~i~l:~n in:11 u;e f:::~o':iltt;~~-rity both ft~m ~~:~:~::~n;e~~g~~i:;o~euac~s~:~;;;;1i;e~i An at-my, to be strong in war ami in operating independent, reinforced ~:~~~~d ~-~:!r:eav;u'f~ .,.,...,.~--· ~3:!~~~on;o ::rr;e:~~ ficient for 1-eplace. these objectives ef. ment at.d emergen~ fectively, M T C cy purposes. It was moved out to Flori. for this pUl"JIOSe dablanca, P a mthat .ti>Jl President panga, during the of the Philippines, second half of July on 26 Aus.:-ust 1946, 1947. At that time, direded the activa~ MTC was coneen~ tion of the 1st Pro- trating on the trainvisional Infantry ing of the 20-yearRegiment in Camp old draftees, and on MuJ•phy, Quewn Ci~ 'the summer train~ ty. Thi 1 was the ing of ROTC ea~ hPginmnf( :Jf the dets. p1e8ent.day Philip~ When Executive pine Army Trainin~ Order 308 divided Command. It& first 1 t h e A r m e d eommandinlt' of- Brig. Gen. RAMON ENRIQUEZ Fort('S into five fieer BriR" CMI11'11a11Uling Gtntral. PA TC majru enrnmands 33 ' PHILIPPINE ARMED FORCES JOURNAL - th.., PGF, P.H, PNP, PSC and PC -th.., & Ttlit<>J)' Training Command \.\"'a~ deacti\"ated on JI Decembel 1947 Its personnel, records, and equipment were absoJ"bed by the PhilipJiine Ground Force which wa!' placed under the command• of Brig Gen Claro B t.izardo. Howevl'r, the objectives of MTC con. tinued to be tho" missions •of tlw Phi\. ippine Ground ForcP. The Arm)' Ground Forces Schoo! at Camp Alabang, Riznl, was transferred to F!oridab\anca, Pampang-a, and subscquenUy became a subordinate unit of PGF. On August 1949, PGF moved to Ft Wm McKinley until 1t was deactivated m 1950 • Tn zts place, Rep\ac..,menl and Trair•ing Center was acti\'ated •nth statio'! at l''t Wm McKinley, Rizal. The Infantry Traming Group, which was one of thf' traming units und~J PGF, became the nucleus of RTC. \\'1th the ahoht10n nf the Phihppmc Gmund Force, G('n Lizardo was desig~~~e~o~~~n;~:~~~gtJ:n~~~m:~d11or~~e newly ncti\·atcd RTC on 1 Jan 1951, lln!y to be reliev('d by Col Ramon Endqucz a month Inter. The Replacement Trainingo Center changed hands for the thad time in six mqnths when Gen Ltzardo camr back from li MA on Jun" I, l!tSl. With the increase ln stren~h of the Armed Forces of the P~ilippines in 19!i\, GHQ decided to train not only re.. serve units, but also to provide retram. ing for field units such as BCTs an4 PC companiw, and the training of units contemplated to be activated m the near fut ure. Thc,e training plans rf"CjUired a tJ·atning c:enter with adequate facilities and a flexJble orgamzation consisting of h1ghly qualified personnel from all hz·andt<'S of the service. To achieve. 1lw~c ends. thf' A"l'med Forces of the THE PATC -- TRMNING fiROUND FOR AFP SOLDIERS 3fi Ph11ippmes Traming Center was activated on 1 July, l!l!;l. The objectives of the Armerf Forces of the Philippines Training CPnter were broader than those of the former Military Training Command. They included the retraining o( PC compames, the training of newly actiVJiled units, and the training of individual replacements for PA units. Finally, on November 15, 1951, the AFPTC was redesignated the Philippine Army Training Command as it is known now with Brig Gen Claro B. Lizard? as its commanding ge1.~raJ. Today the Philippine Army Trainm~ Command is one of the major units of AFP. It is composed of five major subordinate units: Ul Station Complement commanded by Lt Col Loui& Marohombsar; <2l Philippine Army School Center, c:ommanded by Col Ja r.into Gavino; (3l Manlla HOTC Uniu w1th Col Mariano Tanwangco as supcrmtendent; (4l Replacement 'l'rainingCenter, c01dmanded by Lt. Col. Jaci nto Leoncio; and (5) 1st Cavalry Squadron, commanded by Lt Col J a coho Zobel. The PATC is presently charged with the following objectives: <1> to t rail1 AFP individual replacements, <2> to train the annual quota for the 10months-c:adre trainees, (3J to train HOTC students in greater Manila and supervise their annual summer trainin,~:, Coil to retrain PA units so designated, C5l to train newly-activated unit~ and any other units so designated by GHQ, and <6> to operate such schools for the training of officers and enlistt!d men as may be directed by GHQ Stn.tion Complement The Station Complement 1s marie up nl the di.fftrent post detachments inside Ft. Wm. McKinley. The ma1n m1~ PHIUJ>PINE.' ARMEn FORCES JUl!RN.lL ston 9/ thts umt IS to fumish billets ~~1ts10~i::;~~~d5~~p~t~ ~c~n~:~o~~da~~ operate and matntam all post facilities. Philippine A rrny Sr:-hool Center Tl\e PASC ts Jlre:~ently running nin~ sen•iee schools. These are the Com. mand nnd General Staff ·School (see October, 19!)3 issuf nf the J ournal), the Ground Combat School, the Quarter. master Sen•ice School, the Finance · Service School, Signal School Branch, Engineer Servicr School, .Ordnance School, Adjutant Genet·al School and the l nteltigcnc" School. These schools aim to achieve th .. production of more 1-ighly trained army technicians and tht' development of small unit leadership com!}atible with all the known situa. tions in a. modern war. llfamln ROTC Units The •mmediatf> objective of ROTC trainin~ 1s to produce commissioned and non.commtsstnned reserve officers to man the reserve units. ROTC training is designl'd to qualify students for im. mediate leadership in times of emergen. ,,. Replacement Training Center The main mission of the RTC is to train the 20. year.old draftees called for cadre service as provided for in the Na. tiona] Defense Ac!. In addition, how. ever, are (1 ) seout ranger trainiilg course patterned after the famous scout rangers of the tiS Army, <2) the training of scout dogs and dog handlers dt'signed to produce sentry do~s. scout dogs anft silent tracken, under any weather ;md terrain condi. tions; (3) training 'and preparation of PF.FTOK t·eplacf'ments for shipment to 1\or('a. The following u.~its are operating un. der· the RTC: Infantry Training Unit, At·tillery Traiiting Unit, Scout Ranger Training Unit, Scout Dog Training Unit, Signal Training Unit, Engineer Training Unit, and 1\bdical Training Unit. 1:;t Cavalry Squadron The· lst ~avalry Squadron was acti. vatcd nn April 15, 1952. Its missions are: to provide training in equitation fot· officer~: and PMA cadets, <2> to be employed in combat as a tactical unit or as a pack unit, C3> to participate in military formations, ceremonies and escorts, and C 4) to perform other pure. !y militar_y duties normally performed hy cavalry units. PEF"fOh.' Repla.c.,ment Trainin11 One of the special missions of th~: PATC is to conduct and supervise the intensive training of the BCT intendeU to !"eplace the PEFTOK unit in Korea, an1i to extend tc. it all training faciti. ties, rquipment and materials that wilt enable it to cany on its training prog!"am to a succetsful completion. The fnts of arms and the deeds of ''alor of the 20th BCT, the 19th under the fa. mons commander Colonel Ramon Aguirre, and now the 14th BCT an glarint; testimonies of the efficiency of training conducted by the PATC. Today, within the reservation of Ft Wm McKinley, the Philippine ' ·Army Training Command carries out its train. ing grind Clay in and day out, endlessly 11.nd unfalteringly. In this task it is helping to strengthen the fabric of i"'llr national defense. Whether the feat of arms and stout.. ney of heart of uur fighttng men Rre bdred on the battlefields of Korea, 1n the plains and mountains fastneases of Luzon, or on the seas and Jungles of Sulu and ~indanao, the Philippine Ar. my Training Command can proudly and L~sstlym~~mt;e p;~~~~n~f !,~d~!~o?n t~h! )' words of Winaton Churchill "a fiahter who has no equal In the worlcf." . .