With China pressing south, U.S. ships return to the Philippines’ Subic Bay

[jpak]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/with-china-pressing-south-us-ships-return-to-the-philippines-subic-bay/2016/05/05/6ce6750a-1139-11e6-a9b5-bf703a5a7191_story.html

SUBIC BAY, Philippines — The newest bar to grace this former U.S. military base is painted with American flags and shaded by a scaled-down Statue of Liberty.

Nearly 25 years ago, Filipino politicians fought to expel U.S. forces stationed here, vowing to “unchain” the country from its former colonial master, promising a future free of girly bars and foreign domination. Now, with Chinese ships cruising just off the coast, the Americans are back, chowing down on chicken tenders and sipping Budweisers served by the Liberty Sports Bar and Grill’s waitresses clad in red, white and blue.

Liberty’s owner, Mark Lindsay, 48, set up shop on the dock five months ago, betting that closer military ties between the United States and the Philippines would revive this once-wild port. Since then, he’s seen a steady rise in ships and sailors, with pit stops by U.S. war and supply vessels, an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine and, most recently, a Japanese aircraft carrier on a four-day “goodwill visit.”

“The more military the better, the more ships the better,” he said.

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[nitpicker]

1. More visitors to come?

http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=94510

11th Pacific Partnership Mission Prepares to Enhance Cooperation, Strengthen Ties in Southeast Asia

Story Number: NNS160502-22Release Date: 5/2/2016 2:28:00 PM
By Commander, Task Force 73 Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy will join allied and partner nation forces for the 11th Pacific Partnership mission, scheduled to begin May 11. This annual maritime operation will help improve disaster response preparedness while enhancing partnerships with participating nations throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. This year's mission will be led by Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 23, embarked on the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), and will include more than 600 military and civilian personnel from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Republic of Korea and Japan.

Indonesia, Timor Leste, Malaysia, the Republic of the Philippines, and Vietnam are all scheduled to host this year's Pacific Partnership mission. Japan will also lead a mission to Palau.

Medical, dental, civil-engineering, and veterinary teams will partner with each host nation to conduct civic-action projects, community health exchanges, medical symposiums, and humanitarian and disaster relief (HA/DR) drills. Engagements between Pacific Partnership participants and host nations are intended to improve capacity, enhance regional partnerships, and increase multilateral cooperation for HA/DR preparedness.
(snip)

[Egnever]

2. Interesting

Thanks!