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- Here's your news around the Pacific.

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I'm Staff Sergeant Emily Kooths.

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Just in time for the
holidays, the U.S. returned

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a trio of bells to the Philippines

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that were taken during the
Philippine-American War.

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The Balangiga bells were brought back home

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to the Philippines at a ceremony

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in the Eastern Samar Province,

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after more than 100 years
since they were taken.

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The bells were used to signal an attack

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on American troops during
the Philippine-American War,

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but have now been returned

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from the 9th and 11th Infantry Regiments.

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Airmen from the 36th Airlift Squadron,

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based out of Yokota Air
Base, flew the bells

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from the Republic of
Korea and from Okinawa

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to the Philippine capital of Manila.

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- It felt really good to
be able to give it back,

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and the amount of thanks
that we were getting,

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it really showed the appreciation.

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- Over on the Korean Peninsula,

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field artillery with a
rotational unit 4-1 defenders

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conducted a gunnery
exercise at Camp Hovey.

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The defenders based out
of Fort Bliss, Texas

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used the M109A6 Paladin
during the exercise.

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Both howitzer cruise and the
platoon fire direction centers

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were able to qualify on
their Table 6 Qualifications.

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(canon booms)

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- The importance of this is to ensure that

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when we're called upon to
deliver field artillery fires

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that we're accurate, we're effective,

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and most importantly we're safe.

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- In Northern Japan, exercise Yama Sakura

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has come to an end.

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Yama Sakura is a U.S.
Army Pacific bilateral

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command post exercise held
between the U.S. Army First Corps

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and the Japan Ground Self-Defense
Force, Northern Army.

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This year's exercise included over 6500

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service members from both nations.

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- There's no more important
region to the United States

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than the region we're in right
now, here in the Pacific.

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This collaboration with
Japan is the cornerstone

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of peace and prosperity
for this entire area.

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- That's your News Around the Pacific.

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For more stories like these,

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like and follow your Department
of Defense Facebook page.

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See you next time!

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