Twenty soldiers stationed in Siasi, Sulu have sharpened their ability to work alongside military aircraft after completing the inaugural Army Aviation Operations Seminar (AAOS) Class 01-2026 — a nine-day specialized course that wrapped up on June 16, 2026, under the auspices of the 11th Infantry "Alakdan" Division.
The participants, all drawn from the 104th Infantry "Para sa Bayan" Battalion, underwent the training at Camp Muksan, Barangay East Kuntad, Siasi, Sulu. The program was jointly conducted by the 11th Division "Mastal" Training School and the Special Mission Aviation Company (SMAC) of the Aviation Battalion, Armor Division, Philippine Army.
The completion of the seminar marks a deliberate push by the 11ID to make aviation interoperability a standard competency across its ground units operating in Sulu and Basilan — two of the most operationally demanding island environments in the southern Philippines.
What the Nine-Day Course Covered
According to Maj. Al-Qatar A. Kamlian, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Education and Training, G8, 11ID, the seminar was specifically designed to give infantry troops the knowledge and practical skills required to coordinate, integrate, and operate effectively alongside aviation assets in support of field operations.
The course curriculum spanned a wide range of aviation-related subjects, including aircraft capabilities and limitations, air-ground coordination protocols, aviation communications procedures, aircraft marshalling techniques, aviation meteorology, air traffic control procedures, and aviation safety standards.
Beyond classroom instruction, participants were required to take part in hands-on practical exercises throughout the duration of the seminar, ensuring that theoretical knowledge could be translated into actionable skills in real operational settings. The training format was structured to bridge the gap between what soldiers learn in a classroom and what they will encounter during actual missions.
Why Siasi Was the Right Location
The selection of Siasi as the training venue was not incidental. As an island municipality with its own airport, Siasi presents a distinct operational context where the ability to coordinate with aircraft is not simply an added advantage — it is a mission-critical necessity.
Officials noted that in an island environment like Siasi, aviation assets frequently serve as the primary means of rapid troop deployment, logistics support, and emergency response. Ground-to-air coordination in such a setting directly affects the success of security operations, humanitarian assistance missions, and disaster response activities alike.
The 104th Infantry Battalion, as the unit permanently based in this environment, is positioned to gain the most immediate benefit from the skills reinforced during the seminar, according to officials who attended the closing ceremony on June 16.
Battalion Executive Officer Thanks Division, Aviation Unit
During the formal closing ceremony, Maj. Ron Albert R. Tumasis, Executive Officer of the 104th Infantry Battalion, expressed his unit's appreciation to both the 11th Infantry Division and the Aviation Battalion for organizing and facilitating the course.
Maj. Tumasis acknowledged that the training would meaningfully enhance the Battalion's capacity to support combined ground and aviation operations — a reflection of the unit's day-to-day realities in a geographically complex and security-sensitive theater of operations.
The closing ceremony also marked the formal end of the first-ever AAOS class conducted under the 11ID framework, with division officials indicating that the program would be replicated for other units in the coming months.
Division Commander Calls Training Essential to Readiness
Maj. Gen. Leonardo I. Peña, Commander of the 11th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Orion, addressed the graduating soldiers and stressed that continuous learning remains central to the Division's operational readiness strategy.
"Building capable and mission-ready troops requires continuous learning and adaptation. Through initiatives such as the Army Aviation Operations Seminar, we strengthen our ability to integrate ground and air assets, enabling our forces to respond more effectively to security, humanitarian and disaster response operations while accomplishing our mission of sustaining peace and development in Sulu and Basilan," Maj. Gen. Peña said, as quoted in the Division's official release.
Maj. Gen. Peña further stated that the successful completion of AAOS Class 01-2026 is only the beginning, with the Division intending to roll out comparable training programs to additional units within the 11ID order of battle over the coming months.
11ID Plans to Expand Aviation Training Division-Wide
The 11th Infantry Division's public affairs office confirmed that AAOS Class 01-2026 is intended to serve as a template for a broader, division-wide expansion of aviation interoperability training. Rather than treating air-ground coordination skills as a niche competency reserved for specialized personnel, the Division aims to institutionalize this knowledge across all of its infantry units.
This approach is consistent with the Philippine Army's broader doctrinal direction toward joint and combined arms operations, where ground commanders and their soldiers must be prepared to request, direct, and integrate aviation support seamlessly — whether in combat, humanitarian, or disaster response scenarios.
By starting the rollout with the 104th Infantry Battalion in Siasi, the 11ID has established a proven model that can be adapted and applied to other units stationed across Sulu and Basilan. The ultimate goal, according to division officials, is to ensure that Alakdan troops throughout the Division's area of responsibility are fully equipped to operate alongside aviation assets under any operational condition.
Aviation Capability Supports a Complex Security Mandate
The Army Aviation Operations Seminar is one of several capability-building initiatives being pursued by the 11th Infantry Division as part of its mandate to sustain peace and security across Sulu and Basilan. These are provinces that have historically presented layered security challenges, requiring military forces to balance active counter-threat operations with civil-military cooperation, humanitarian assistance, and support to local governance.
Enhanced aviation interoperability directly strengthens all of these mission sets. In a geographically dispersed island chain, the ability to quickly and efficiently coordinate with aircraft can determine the speed and effectiveness of the military's response to any given situation — from armed encounters to natural disasters.
As of June 17, 2026, no public announcement had been made regarding the specific schedule for subsequent AAOS classes. However, based on statements made by Maj. Gen. Peña during the closing ceremony, the expansion to additional units within the Division is expected to proceed within the year. The article was authenticated by Maj. Genesis S. Dizon, Chief of the Division Public Affairs Office, 11ID, Philippine Army.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the 11th Infantry Division, Philippine Army / Public Affairs Office
Source: Originally reported by the 11th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, Philippine Army