Philippine Army Capt. Heriberto Sangalang (left), 191st

Philippine Army Capt. Heriberto Sangalang (left), 191st Military Police Battalion, and U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Jeff Ayres, 472nd Military Police Company, 793rd MP Battalion, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, discuss bilateral convoy operations training during Balikatan 2012, April 19 at Clark Air Base, Philippines. Bilateral training helps maintain a high level of interoperability, enhances military-to-military relations and combined combat capabilities. Additionally, it increases our armed forcesÕ ability to respond quickly and work together efficiently to provide relief and assistance in the event of natural disasters and other crises. Exercise Balikatan is an annual training event aimed at improving combined planning, combat readiness, humanitarian assistance and interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and United States. The word balikatan in Filipino means "shoulder-to-shoulder."