14 November 2011
MANILA, Philippines – The military’s 23 newly-acquired units of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) ambulances were turned over Monday to the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps during the 72nd anniversary rites of the Department of National Defense at Camp Aguinaldo.
Nineteen of said units will be given to the Philippine Army, while four will go to the Marines, said Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Eduardo Oban in an interview with reporters after the ceremony.
He added that that it will be to the discretion of the Army and Marines how to distribute the said units.
“The goal of the project is to enhance the AFP’s health service support system focusing on the survivability of our combat casualties in the frontlines, providing adequate and timely medical support,” Oban also said.
He added that the procurement of the units “will surely be of great help” to the soldiers on the field for their combat missions.
Meanwhile, public affairs chief Colonel Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. added that the ambulance units are part of the $10M worth of medical equipment and supplies procurement project under the Foreign Military Sales Case PI-MTB of the Philippine Defense Reform Program.
The HMMWV, known as Humvee ambulance, is designed to for all types of roads, including cross-country terrains which are typical in conflict-affected development areas.
Each ambulance is equipped with life-support systems to provide immediate medical response to life-threatening combat casualty personnel before they are transported to medical treatment facilities.
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