Two air advisors from the 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron traveled to the Philippines June 8-20, 2024 to support the United States Marine Corps Marine Aviation Support Activity 24.
The MASA 24 is an annual bilateral exercise focused on enhancing the capabilities in operating with aviation assets from the United States and Philippine militaries with training aimed at improving coordination, communication, and integration among units across the United States Marine Corps, Air Force, Army, and Philippine marine corps, air force, and naval air wing. MASA 24 training aims to foster effective collaboration and mission success in complex, multi-domain environments in support of mutual defense and includes a live-fire exercise on shore reinforcing U.S. commitment and cooperation in the region.
Several U.S. Air Force units participated in MASA 24, which was a testament to the reinforcement of U.S. commitment and cooperation in the region. Two air advisors from the 818th MSAS, Capt. Andrea Pangrac and Tech. Sgt. Mika Pajas, were key in facilitating the successful integration of USAF assets and personnel for interoperability with the Philippine armed forces in MASA 24. The air advisors provided critical cultural and liaison support to USAF stakeholders and other MASA 2024 participants.
“The 305th Air Mobility Wing was my first wing,” Pangrac said. “It was super exciting because I went in knowing the aircraft, the mission sets, the cargo, how their exercises run, and the people. I was thrilled to be asked to support their objectives and to be able to negotiate with exercise stakeholders and resources to build the environment needed for successful operations with our sister services and Philippine partners.”
Pangrac and Pajas were the eyes and ears on the ground at Clark Air Base in preparation for receiving the various USAF aircraft, cargo and personnel.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of being a logistics readiness officer and a mission commander is being able to operate with various unknowns across the different environments we may find ourselves in,” Pangrac said. “Bringing order to chaos and being that conduit that helps make things happen alongside stakeholders with a vested interest in shared objectives is an exciting challenge and a major learning opportunity for growth and process improvement in our operations.”
The 818th MSAS air advisors also integrated with the 733rd Air Mobility Squadron air operations team at Clark AB to coordinate with Philippine Air Force base operations, security forces, and Philippine immigration officers to facilitate smooth immigration processes for USAF stakeholders and base access to Clark AB.
“My Filipino heritage has positively influenced my military experience here in the Philippines by instilling values of resilience, camaraderie, and adaptability, which are crucial in military operations,” Pajas said. “Growing up, I learned Ilocano as my first language and Tagalog as my second. We moved to Hawaii when I was seven, where I learned English. We would vacation to the Philippines every two years, which helped me maintain my language skills.”
Born in Gattaran, Cagayan, Pajas leans into personal experiences to effectively do the job as an air advisor.
“Not only do I get to do my job as an air advisor, but to be able to do it in our native language has helped build rapport with our partners and break down any barriers that might have been there,” said Pajas.
As part of the air advisor and advance team in the Philippines supporting USAF units at Clark and Basa Air Bases, Pajas enjoyed participating in MASA 24 and shared her top three experiences: “First is being able to put out fires before it affects the inbound crews. Being power production, seeing and working the logistics behind the arrival and departure of an aircraft was a cool experience. Secondly, having the Hawaii National Guard here and watching the F-22 Raptors fly in formation. And lastly, working with my brother-in-law, Tech. Sgt. Noel Antalan. With him being a guardsman and me an active-duty service member who operates in a different area of responsibility, this is a rare occasion for us.”
The 818th MSAS historically operates in the U.S. African Command AOR but in recent years has expanded its reach across other AORs, including the Indo-Pacific and South America.
Tech. Sgt. Antalan, an aircraft fuel systems craftsman from the 154th Maintenance Squadron, was born and raised in Hawaii with family roots in the Philippines, specifically from the Ilocos Norte, Pagudpud, and Baguio Regions.
“The Philippine Air Force provided invaluable assistance with all the resources we needed,” Antalan said. “Interacting with them, exchanging thoughts and ideas, and observing our different approaches was truly enriching. It presented a significant opportunity to fortify the bonds between the USAF/HIANG and PAF.”
He also shared a similar favorite experience participating in MASA 24: working with his sister-in-law, Tech. Sgt. Pajas, from the 818th MSAS, thousands of miles from home.
“Witnessing the F-22 Raptors and the PAF aircraft fly overhead was very impressive. I’ve learned a lot during our conversations with different PAF personnel, ranging from new ideas and perspectives aircraft maintenance-wise to specific facts and details of this exercise and the bigger picture of our mission. My Filipino heritage has greatly influenced my military experience here in the Philippines, providing me with a deep appreciation of the country’s culture, history, and values,” Antalan said.
