The Boys Are Back in the Philippines


The United States and the Philippines have agreed on a new 10-year defense pact that will allow increased presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines, White House officials have announced. The pact is partly in response to U.S. and Philippine concerns about China’s growing influence in the area.

The pact does not allow for permanent U.S. bases, but gives U.S. forces access to selected Philippine bases and allows the U.S. to position planes, ships and other equipment at those bases.

The last time the U.S. Military had a major presence in the Philippines was in the decades prior to the 1990s when the U.S. had two huge bases in the nation. Those were Subic Bay Naval Base and Clark Air Base.

As you may or may not have heard, things got a little crazy for U.S. troops at those two bases the last time around. Both U.S. bases had HUGE red-light districts outside their main gates. Angeles City outside of Clark, and Olongapo City outside of Subic Bay, were infamous for their countless bars and clubs featuring young ladies from throughout the Philippines hoping to make some money off the young G.I.s. Though nudity was banned in this strictly Catholic nation, bikinis weren’t. And though prostitution was also banned, Sailors, Marines and Airmen could pay a “bar fine” to the bar or club to take the young lady out on the town, and to a motel. As you can guess, mix a carrier strike group pulling into port (for example) with thousands of young ladies and you get one huge, drunken party. That’s one big reason the Philippine government is loathe to have U.S. forces permanently stationed in their nation again.

 Image Gallery (Late 1980s at Subic Bay)

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Author

  • Michael Swaney

    Michael is an Army veteran and the Director of Content for Bright Mountain Media LLC

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