Military ‘test mission’ explained

Soldiers taking part in a “test mission” are combat-ready personnel with field experience and they are considered “most ready” to face the enemy once they complete a mission, a military officer said Thursday.

Maj. Demi Zagala, chief of the Armed Force of the Philippines public affairs office, said most area commands “desire combat missions.”

“They are the most ready. They have the training, they have cohesion. Because, imagine, in six months all you do is move, shoot, communicate and talk to each other,” Zagala said on ANC cable news.

Zagala said those who go on a test mission are considered students undergoing training but they are already full-fledged soldiers who have had combat experience.

“The premise of having a test mission is the end result, which is that you should have an encounter. That is what a test mission is about,” he said.

“Every test mission is risky. The enemy presence is there. The reason you are being sent there is to clear the area of operations. If there is danger for the students to go, yes, there really is danger,” Zagala said.

The AFP has come under fire after seven Marines were killed in Sulu on Sunday in an encounter with members of the Abu Sayyaf bandit and terror group.

Former Marine Col. Ariel Querubin, a recipient of the Medal of Valor, had criticized the test mission, saying the Marines were not supposed to engage in an encounter but only conduct reconnaissance on the enemy.

Querubin was once superintendent of the Philippine Marines training school.

On ANC Thursday, Querubin said he was not opposed to the holding of test missions.

“I fully support sending them. But what I am saying is how to reduce casualties. Mine (my idea) would be to pass on the intelligence to the operating troops. If your information is successful in an operation, then credit should go to the students and therefore, they should graduate,” Querubin said.—Nikko Dizon