Twenty personnel from the 104th Infantry "Para sa Bayan" Battalion completed a nine-day specialized aviation training program in Siasi, Sulu on June 16, 2026, as the 11th Infantry "Alakdan" Division concluded the Army Aviation Operations Seminar (AAOS) Class 01-2026 — a course aimed at strengthening coordination between ground troops and aviation assets across its area of operations in Sulu and Basilan.
The seminar was conducted at the Headquarters of the 104th Infantry Battalion, Camp Muksan, Barangay East Kuntad, Siasi, Sulu, through a collaboration between the 11th Division "Mastal" Training School and the Special Mission Aviation Company (SMAC), Aviation Battalion, Armor Division, Philippine Army.
The event was authenticated by Maj. Genesis S. Dizon (INF) PA, Chief of the Division Public Affairs Office, 11ID, Philippine Army.
Nine-Day Curriculum Covers Aircraft Coordination and Safety Procedures
According to Maj. Al-Qatar A. Kamlian, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Education and Training, G8, 11ID, the seminar was designed to equip infantry troops with the essential knowledge and skills needed to effectively coordinate, integrate, and operate with aviation assets in support of operational requirements.
The training curriculum covered a broad range of topics central to Army aviation operations. These included aircraft capabilities and limitations, air-ground coordination protocols, aviation communications, aircraft marshalling, aviation meteorology, air traffic control procedures, and aviation safety standards.
Participants also engaged in practical exercises throughout the nine-day program to reinforce the operational competencies discussed during classroom sessions, ensuring that ground personnel could apply their learning in real field scenarios.
Siasi's Island Geography Makes Air-Ground Coordination a Priority
The choice of Siasi as the venue for the seminar was cited as particularly significant. As an island municipality in Sulu with an existing airport, Siasi presents a unique operational environment where seamless ground-to-air communication and coordination are not merely advantageous — they are essential.
Effective ground-air coordination in Siasi is described as vital in supporting not only security operations, but also humanitarian missions and disaster response efforts, given the logistical constraints inherent to island-based deployments where aviation assets often serve as a primary means of rapid mobility and supply.
The 104th Infantry Battalion, stationed in this environment, is among the frontline units that stand to benefit most directly from enhanced interoperability with aviation forces, according to officials who spoke during the closing ceremony.
104th Infantry Battalion Executive Officer Acknowledges Training Value
During the closing ceremony held on June 16, 2026, Maj. Ron Albert R. Tumasis, Executive Officer of the 104th Infantry Battalion, formally expressed his gratitude to the 11th Infantry Division and the Aviation Battalion for facilitating the specialized course.
Maj. Tumasis noted that the training would further enhance the Battalion's capability to effectively support both ground and aviation operations, reflecting the unit's operational needs in a geographically complex and security-sensitive theater.
The ceremony marked the formal conclusion of the inaugural class of the AAOS under the 11ID framework, with officials signaling that similar programs would follow for other units within the Division.
Division Commander Calls for Continuous Soldier Development
Maj. Gen. Leonardo I. Peña, Commander of the 11th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Orion, used the occasion to underscore the importance of sustained capability development as a cornerstone of 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.
Maj. Gen. Peña further noted that the successful conduct of AAOS Class 01-2026 marks the beginning of a broader rollout of similar specialized training programs across other units of the Division, with the goal of ensuring that more Alakdan troops acquire the competencies needed to effectively operate alongside aviation assets.
11ID Eyes Expansion of Aviation Training Across Other Division Units
According to the Division's public affairs office, the completion of AAOS Class 01-2026 is intended to serve as a template for scaling up similar programs throughout the 11th Infantry Division's order of battle. The initiative reflects a deliberate effort to institutionalize aviation interoperability as a standard competency among infantry units, rather than a specialized skill reserved for select personnel.
The expansion of such training is consistent with the Philippine Army's broader doctrinal thrust toward joint and combined arms operations, where ground commanders and their troops must be able to seamlessly request, direct, and work alongside aviation support in dynamic operational environments.
By building this capacity at the unit level — beginning with the 104th Infantry Battalion in Siasi — the 11ID aims to ensure that its forces across Sulu and Basilan are prepared to operate with aviation assets under a range of mission profiles, from combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
Training Supports 11ID's Peace and Security Mandate in Sulu and Basilan
The Army Aviation Operations Seminar is one of several capability-building programs being implemented by the 11th Infantry Division as part of its ongoing mission to sustain peace and security in Sulu and Basilan — provinces that have historically been among the most complex security environments in the southern Philippines.
The 11ID's area of responsibility encompasses communities where military forces must balance active security operations with civil-military cooperation, disaster preparedness, and support to local governance and development initiatives. Enhanced aviation interoperability directly supports all of these mission sets by improving the speed, flexibility, and coordination of military responses across a geographically dispersed island chain.
The successful completion of AAOS Class 01-2026 was described by 11ID officials as a tangible demonstration of the Division's commitment to developing highly competent, adaptable, and mission-ready soldiers capable of operating effectively in joint environments — and as a foundation for the continued strengthening of ground-air integration across the Alakdan Division's forces.
Further schedules for subsequent AAOS classes under the 11ID framework have not yet been publicly announced as of June 17, 2026, but Maj. Gen. Peña's remarks during the closing ceremony indicated that the rollout to additional units would proceed in the coming months.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the 11th Infantry Division, Philippine Army / Public Affairs Office