Balikatan 25'
Standard Operation
Operation Name: Balikatan 25’
Date: 08/23/2025
1. Situation
a. Enemy Forces: Fictional OPFOR; People’s Republic of Ilocopanga
Size: Battalion size.
Activity: Conventional.
Location: Dagger Island Exercise Site, undisclosed near the Philippines
Unit and Type: Marine Force.
Time: Morniing.
b. Friendly Forces:
Higher’s Mission and Intent:
- Elements to successfully practice and train up their personnel and refresh others in element specific SOPs.
- Further foster unit interoperability and improved coordination.
Adjacent Units: NONE.
Supporting Units: NONE.
Attachments/Detachments: Philippine Navy (off map, conducting patrols), Philippine Coast Guard (off map, conducting both sea and air patrols)
c. Environment:
Weather: CLEAR
Terrain: Forrested, hills, open fields.
Local Population: NONE.
2. Mission
Who: Philippine Joint Strike Force.
What: Unit-wide FTX.
When: Aug. 23, 2025
Where: Dagger Island Exercise Site.
Why:
Primary Objective(s): Successfully complete unit-wide FTX with little to no issue.
Secondary Objective(s): Properly and cleanly operate alongside other elements.
Tertiary Objective(s): Do not lose control of Dagger Island.
3. Execution
a. Commander’s Intent & Breakdown of events:
- Server shall be opened early for element leads and members to prepare for their respective FTXs. All element leaders are to check in their usual radio frequencies when in regular operations, particularly element heads that have direct communications with Godfather HQ (GHQ).
- Sectors shall be set between element leaders to ensure that specific areas are reserved for a specific training, also to avoid overlapping taskings and disruptions with eachother’s FTXs.
2a) 1 - 2 hours shall be provided for element leaders to teach and train their element on their own to level up their operators through whatever skills they may need to learn or acquire. An element lead may opt to cut the time short or extend depending on their satisfaction of the results of the aforementioned training. - Once all or most element leads have finished their training, GHQ shall prepare a scenario to further hone not only to assess individual element skills learned throughout the FTX, but also to foster interoperability of SOPs and cooperation between the elements.
- After all elements have completed this, all elements are to RTB to reassess faults, improvements, and other things they would like to discuss regarding the exercise. If element leads wish, they may conduct a second round of exercises to further hone their skills.
b. Concept of Operations:
- Conduct individual element trainings.
- Conduct unit interoperability exercises.
- Assess faults, mistakes, major/minor things to improve regarding such.
- Repeat exercises if needed.
c. Tasks to Subordinate Units:
The Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard will be conducting patrols to ensure no stray pirate or civilian enters the territorial waters of Dagger Island.
d. Coordinating Instructions:
Rules of Engagement: Weapons tight, do not fire unless fired upon.
Movement Formation: Standard combat formations; adjust as necessary based on terrain and threat.
Primary and Alternate Routes: Commanders’ discretion.
Actions on Contact: Engage and eliminate threat, secure area, and report to highest command officer in immediate area of operations.
Rally Points: Commanders’ discretion; briefed prior to mission start.
4. Administration and Logistics
a. Beans:
Rations and Water.
Limited food and water while MSRs are not secure.
b. Bullets:
Prescribed Loadout: Standard issue for defensive operations.
c. Band-Aids:
Location of the medic: 1 medic and 1 Assist. medic assigned per Squad.
Casualty Collection Point (CCP): Battalion Doctor or Medic discretion.
Aid Station: Available at FOB
d. Bad Guys:
Procedures for Handling Prisoners of War:
In the unlikely case of OPFOR, follow SOP in regards to handling POWs.
5. Command and Signal
a. Signal:
Primary and Alternate Frequencies: Briefed prior mission start.
Smoke signals: Briefed prior mission start.
Call Signs: Godfather - High Command
Challenge and Pass: “Buy", “Yumburger”
Check-in Times: Every 30 minutes OR to report success of taking objective.
6. Additional Instructions
- All element leads without filed LOA are REQUIRED to join, unless a valid (or somewhat) valid excuse is given.
- Element leads are ENCOURAGED to allow non-members to try elements. Active recruitment of floating billets through trainings are also encouraged.
- Attendees of the exercises may only leave if and only if they either have the following;
- Emergencies.
- Valid reason.
- Nangago talaga yung element lead.
- NOTE; Due to the nature of this FTX in its bid to prepare the unit for major operations (if ever it comes), it is encouraged all that can attend to attend, not only to hone up skills but to also build up cohesion with the boys.