Energy Academic Group Participates in KAMANDAG 7 Exercise in the Republic of the Philippines

By LtCol Charles B. Lynn, USMC, Ret., Faculty Associate-Research, 
Energy Academic Group

The Energy Academic Group (EAG), in partnership with the Marine Corp’s Expeditionary Energy Office (E2O), the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers traveled to Basco, Philippines, from 22-30 October 2023 as part of exercise KAMANDAG 7, a multi-lateral, joint exercise conducted annually in the Philippines.     

The municipality of Basco is the provincial capital for Batanes Province, the northernmost province of the Philippines. Part of the Batanes island chain, Basco is strategically located in the Luzon Strait, sitting roughly 200 nautical miles from both Luzon and Taiwan. In addition to its operational relevance, its location also makes the island chain a frequent target of typhoons and earthquakes, causing extensive damage to its energy systems and other critical infrastructure.     

As part of a larger, multi-disciplinary team, EAG Faculty Associate Charles Lynn participated in numerous site visits and key leader engagements to assess vulnerabilities of the energy and water system in the Batanes islands. Engagements included a luncheon with the Provincial Governor, the Honorable Marilou Cayco, meetings with the director of the National Power Corporation (Batanes), the technical director of the Batanes Electrical Cooperative, and the director of the Batanes Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.     

The group also conducted preliminary planning for an energy-related Table Top Exercise (TTX) that will address systemic risks and enhance the ability of national, regional, and local officials to mitigate those risks prior to an emergency. The TTX will include participants from the Naval Postgraduate School faculty, local stakeholders in Basco, and members of the U.S. and Philippines Marine Corps. It is slated to take place as part of the BALIKATAN exercise in the Spring of 2024.

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Contact LtCol Charles B. Lynn at charles.lynn@nps.edu for more information.