U.S. and Philippine troops fire at will during joint military exercises amid regional tensions over North Korean threats and maritime territory disputes.<br/> <br />The soldiers held live-fire drills in Crow Valley, north of the capital Manila, taking time to study U.S. war tactics.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOSH GELERTER, U.S. OFFICER IN CHARGE OF MARINE FORCES IN CROW VALLEY, SAYING:<br/> <br />"One of the things we want to achieve is after 10 years of war, the U.S. military has a lot of new tactics, new technology and new techniques for training that we are hoping to pass on to the Armed Forces of the Philippines."<br/> <br />This Filipino lieutenant described the training as invaluable.<br/> <br />In return, U.S. troops learned tricks of the trade when it comes to surviving off the land.<br/> <br />The war games, involving 8,000 American and Filipino soldiers, are designed to test each country's defences as part of treaties supporting ally forces in the region.
