“Indeed, very few have been called but fewer still have been chosen to guard our sovereignty and patrimony over those distant posts.”
Oyster Bay Detachment, Ulugan Bay, Puerto Princesa City – The Naval Forces West’s Troop Rotation and Reprovisioning (RORE) Mission Team with BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS17) as the platform, was welcomed here today, after more than a week of traversing the vast waters of the West Philippine Sea to reach the respective Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) detachments.
The welcoming party, consists of the NFW organic personnel, was headed by Captain Francisco G Tagamolila Jr, the Deputy Commander for Fleet Operations with Colonel Antonio G Mangoroban Jr, the Deputy Commander for Marine Operations who gave his remarks as the Commander, Naval Task Force 42 in charged of the KIG detachments and stressed, “Your long stay in the islands is truly a personal sacrifice in your part that no monetary reward can compensate. Every hour you spent in the island is an hour lost to your loved ones or family.”
The Head of Mission for the said RORE is the Commanding Officer of PS17, Captain Lorenzo H Bolor PN(GSC), who together with his crew, successfully brought the NFW Mission Team led by Lt Gerry D Miguel PN on the Ph-held island features in KIG, WPS to rotate troops and re-provisions for next months.
The event was highlighted by the awarding of medals for the outgoing KIG security personnel as command’s recognition for their selfless duty performed during their stint in the far-flung islands. The NFW mission team was also awarded as an appreciation of their accomplished mission.
The Naval Forces West regularly conducts troop rotation and reprovisioning in order to sustain the operational mandate of the Command and to uplift the morale of the personnel deployed at KIG and ensure their humane living condition in the areas as they play a vital role in defending the country’s western frontier.