Light Reaction Regiment

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Light Reaction Regiment
Regiment Insignia, with the famous monicker of the Luna Sharpshooters (Spanish: Tiradores de la Muerte) as motto.
ActiveFebruary 1, 2004 – present
Country Philippines
Branch Philippine Army
TypeSpecial Operations Forces
SizeClassified
Part ofAFP Special Operations Command
Garrison/HQFort Ramon Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija[1]
Nickname(s)"LRR", "Philippines' Delta Force"
Motto(s)"Tiradores de la Muerte" (Sharpshooters of Death)[2]
Engagements
Decorations
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Badge
Presidential Streamer Award
Commanders
Current
commander		BGen Monico E. Abang, PA
Notable
commanders		Jose Luntok, Lawrence San Juan, Alexander Macario, Danilo Pamonag
Insignia
AFP Master Parachutist Badge
Scout Ranger Qualification Badge
Special Forces Qualification Badge

The Light Reaction Regiment is the premier counter-terrorist unit of the Philippine Army. It was formerly known as the Light Reaction Battalion and Light Reaction Company. Due to its specialization in counter-terrorism operations and its formation with the assistance of American advisers, the Light Reaction Regiment has been sometimes referred to as the Philippines' Delta Force.[3]

The LRR is part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Special Operations Command (AFPSOCOM).[4] It is based at Fort Ramon Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

Their motto is from the famous Luna Sharpshooters of Antonio Luna during the Philippine-American War, with the monicker of "Marksmen of Death" (Spanish: Tiradores de la Muerte).

History[edit]

Then LRB commandos in 2012 posing with their combat gear.

Origins[edit]

The Light Reaction Regiment can trace its origins back to the year 2000 when non-commissioned officers from the Scout Rangers and 1st Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) were trained by American military advisers from the 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group.[5]

The former LRC, whose members were first drawn from the Scout Rangers and 1st Special Forces Regiment were given further training during the 2002 Balikatan exercises held from February to July 2001,[6] by American special forces instructors from Company B, 1st BN, 1st SFG based in Okinawa.[7][8][6]

Known Operations[edit]

After years of training under American instructors, the LRC was officially activated on February 1, 2004[9] and was tasked to be deployed in Mindanao in order to combat Abu Sayyaf Group terrorists responsible for abducting several foreign hostages,[6] with the unit conducting an operation to rescue Gracia Burnham from Abu Sayyaf terrorists.[10] Further exercises had been conducted during the 2006 Balikatan exercises.[11] The LRC had been involved in a rescue operation conducted on a kidnapped Italian priest named Giancarlo Bossi by armed men from a rogue MILF group in 2007.[12][13]

The unit was involved in the aftermath of the Manila Peninsula rebellion, where they had been deployed to Manila to deter any other Coup d'état attempts.[1] LRC forces have been deployed to Mindanao to conduct anti-terrorist operations in the region.[14] The unit changed its name from the Light Reaction Company to the Light Reaction Battalion in 2008.

50 members of the unit, including 3 officers, were suspended on 9 February 2008, when elements of the LRB came under investigation for the alleged possible killing of innocent civilians on 4 February 2008 during operations in Mindanao against the MILF, known as the Ipil Incident.[15] The unit was cleared of any wrongful doing since the investigation subsequently linked the killings to misinformation provided by an unreliable informant,[16] who was involved in a clan feud and wanted to use the operation to get rid of a rival clan.[15]

In 2014, the unit was again renamed into the Light Reaction Regiment due to its heroic stand in Zamboanga in September 2013. Its elevation to a full regiment was formally sanctioned by Defense Secretary Gazmin on January 16, 2014.[17] A further three companies have been authorized to be added to the already existing three, bringing the total end strength of the regiment up to 600 soldiers.[18] This could prove difficult for the unit as it has almost always been understrength. When deployed to Zamboanga in 2013, the LRB was at only 40% strength.[19][20]

All 3 companies were deployed to Zamboanga City in September, 2013 and led over 3,000 soldiers and police deployed in the siege. The terrain proved tough for the other units used to fighting rebels in the jungles and remote, uphill areas. The Light Reaction Regiment (still a Battalion at the time) consisted of battle tested soldiers recruited from the Army's elite fighting units, the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment and the Special Forces. The unit was undermanned throughout the operation, only being at 40% authorized manpower and had to be augmented by 45 SEALs from the navy's Naval Special Operations Group.[20] Despite the setbacks, the operation was a success, but it cost the lives of 9 LRB soldiers with a further 37 wounded.[21][18]

In 2014, the LRR conducted a trojan horse operation at a drag race to either kill or capture Abu Sayyaf target Sihata Latip, who was wanted for kidnapping 21 people in Malaysia in 2000. He went on to conduct a string of kidnappings in the Philippines over subsequent years, but as the Philippines got better at counter terrorism operation, the Islamists were cut off from overseas international terrorist finance networks, particularly the ones originating in Saudi Arabia and in order to make up for this loss in income, they engage in kidnapping for ransom. The 24 LRR soldiers trained for a week to execute the mission. They dressed up as if going to a Muslim wedding, rented local jeeps and decorated it. Some soldiers dressed up as women to avoid raising suspicion. One soldier with a M249 light machine gun dressed as a pregnant woman, but forgot to shave on the day of the operation and had to loan a hand fan from one of the female soldiers on the base to cover his goatee. On the way to the drag race one of the jeeps broke down. The commander of the operation decided to go on with the mission with only one jeep and 13 men. When they arrived at the drag race, the LRR operators identified their High Value Target from about 50 civilians and terrorists, approached and drew weapons. A firefight ensued in which the target was killed, but at the loss of a LRR operator who got shot in the neck. The operators loaded up the two bodies and made their getaway, while being shot at by Abu Sayyaf and Moro Islamic Liberation Front.[22][23]

In May 2017, the regiment spearheaded the army's counter terrorism effort in the Marawi crisis, clearing out the enemy house by house.[24]

Support[edit]

On September 4, 2018, the U.S. Counterterrorism Train and Equip Program provided more than 5 million rounds of ammunition worth Php117.4 million ($2.2 million), most of them being used by the LRR.[25]

On May 4, 2020, Col. Monico E. Abang was appointed at the LRR's commander, taking over from Brig. Gen. Monico S. Batle.[26]

On February 14, 2022, Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. vowed to provide more support to the unit during his visit in Nueva Ecija.[27]

Structure[edit]

The LRR consists of a Headquarters, a Headquarters Company, and seven Light Reaction Companies.[28][29]

Units of the Light Reaction Regiment:

• HQ Company

• 1st Light Reaction Battalion

• 2nd Light Reaction Battalion


• 1st Light Reaction Company "Eximius Ferratus"

• 2nd Light Reaction Company "Nasiglat"

• 3rd Light Reaction Company "Wa'y Kurat"

• 4th Light Reaction Company "Perdigones"

• 5th Light Reaction Company "Mandaragit"

• 6th Light Reaction Company "Dares Against Odds"

• 7th Light Reaction Company "Molon labe"

• Light Reaction Regiment - Sniper Task Group, a 16-man unit formed with 5LRC S/Os (sniper/observer) and SOTIC instructors, famously known as "Maligno sa Tulay" or "Malignos"

Training[edit]

The LRR recruits from experienced Scout Rangers and Special Forces Regiment operators.[30]

The Selection and Assessment of the LRR consists of a CTC (Counter Terrorist Course) Course, a highly-selective course that is open to those with Scout Ranger and Special Forces tabs. SR and SF qualifications do not automatically qualify as an applicant of the course, one must have two years of combat deployment with an infantry unit, whether SRC or SFC.

The Light Reaction School (Formerly known as Counter-Terrorist Development & Training School) is patterned after the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School's SFARTAETC, a CT program that is outside of the 1SFOD-D's Operator's Training Course, ran by the 1st Special Warfare Group at Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty.)

Roots of the Light Reaction School came from SATD, composed of USSF instructors with the graduates of Counter Terrorist Class One assisting instructors created in 2002 in order to make way for the future training requirement of the Counter Terrorist Course Class Two and Three in the pipeline, on July 15, 2004, it was replaced by the Selection & Training Platoon, a platoon under the LRB's HQ company.

Due to the increase of instructors, on July 1, 2012, the Selection & Training Platoon was deactivated and replaced by a company-sized SATD separate from the HQ company. As the LRB was activated as a regiment-wide unit, on January 1, 2014, the SATD was renamed CTDTS to meet the expansion which is approved by the LRR'S HHC.

The LRR conducts training with American special forces personnel via bilateral exercises.[31] At least one LRR operator was involved in cross training with the Australian SASR.[23] The unit has trained with British, Indonesian and Malaysian special forces units.[20]

Equipment[edit]

M4 and HK416 carbines are used by the LRR as their standard assault rifles.[32][33]

The SR-25 is used by the LRR as their sniper rifle.[34]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Military braces for power grab try. Archived 2008-01-02 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on January 2, 2008.
  2. ^ "The Luna Sharpshooters: The Most Feared Marksmen in Philippine History". Esquiremag.ph.
  3. ^ "SOFREP Exclusive: Inside the Light Reaction Regiment, the Philippines answer to Delta Force (Part 2) | SOFREP". 13 June 2017.
  4. ^ "What's in the New Philippines Special Operations Command?".
  5. ^ "Philippine soldiers show off what they learned from the Green Berets - News - Stripes". www.stripes.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  6. ^ a b c "The U.S. Army Professional Writing Collection". www.army.mil. Archived from the original on 1 December 2004. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  7. ^ 'Shoulder to Shoulder'. Combatting Terrorists in the Philippines. Archived 2008-01-09 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on January 2, 2008.
  8. ^ https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1200/RR1236/RAND_RR1236.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  9. ^ Combat Magazine, March 2008. Page 41.
  10. ^ "American hostage dies in Philippines". Chicago Tribune. 7 June 2002. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21.
  11. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.professionalsoldiers.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ radiopinoyusa.com/radiopinoy_news.php?id=NEWS-01564 ITALIAN ENVOY HAPPY FOR MILITARY'S EFFORT TO RESCUE ITALIAN PRIEST BOSSI. Archived 2008-02-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on January 2, 2008.
  13. ^ "Bless you, Father Bossi". 28 September 2012.
  14. ^ No cut in US military aid. id=84721 Archived 2007-10-13 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on January 2, 2008.
  15. ^ a b https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/eoir/legacy/2013/06/13/icg_05142008.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  16. ^ "Joint Special Operations Group".
  17. ^ Nikko Dizon & Tarra Quismundo (January 17, 2014). "We need big ally vs bully". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  18. ^ a b "PH to double size of elite anti-terror troops". 7 January 2014.
  19. ^ "Zamboanga siege: Tales from the combat zone". 13 September 2014.
  20. ^ a b c "SOFREP Exclusive: Inside the operations of the Light Reaction Regiment (Part 3) | SOFREP". 16 June 2017.
  21. ^ "'The first to respond, the last to leave'". 9 October 2013.
  22. ^ "Abu Sayyaf commander with P5.3M bounty killed in Sulu". 22 November 2014.
  23. ^ a b "The Light Reaction Regiment's Trojan Horse mission in Sulu kills a High Value Target | SOFREP". 19 June 2017.
  24. ^ "Philippines special forces are on the hunt for ISIS militants". 28 June 2017.
  25. ^ "U.S. Government Provides Millions of Rounds of Ammunition to the Armed Forces of the Philippines". 24 September 2018.
  26. ^ "Army installs new Light Reaction Regiment Commander".
  27. ^ Nepomuceno, Priam (February 14, 2022). "Brawner vows to beef up Army anti-terror unit's capabilities". Philippine News Agency.
  28. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). apps.dtic.mil. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  29. ^ "Embassy of the United States in Manila". usembassy.state.gov. Archived from the original on 9 September 2006. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  30. ^ https://www.soc.mil/SWCS/DOTDP/AY_2009/Farris,%20S%202009.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  31. ^ "PH to double size of elite anti-terror troops". 7 January 2014.
  32. ^ "Army men receive new powerful rifles". 4 September 2014.
  33. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.tdh.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  34. ^ "SOFREP Exclusive: Marawi Commander details what really happened in his country's largest terrorist attack and how his men fought back". 14 December 2017.
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