Overseas deployments are generally neither comfortable nor familiar.
But for Sergeant Caryl Martinez, being deployed to the Philippines with the Australian Army has been a return to his roots.
Born on the island of Surigao del Norte in the south-east of the Philippines, Sergeant Martinez moved to Australia when he was 21 years old and joined the ADF four years later.
The sergeant has now returned to the Philippines as part of the Joint Task Force Headquarters for Exercise Alon 2025 - a bilateral training activity between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Australian Defence Force, and the largest overseas military exercise for Australia in 2025.
On Exercise Alon 2025, Sergeant Martinez has been uniquely positioned to share his cultural roots with members of the AFP, forging important people-to-people links to help the ADF enhance future cooperation.
'As a Filipino Australian, I am very proud to be representing the Australian Army here in the Philippines.'
"It has been wonderful to be back with people that speak the language. There is a couple of familiar dialects here, and the weather is very nostalgic for me - it's a bit like coming home," Sergeant Martinez said.
"My team and I are very excited to be developing deep partnerships with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and learn and develop from each other. It's these skills we need to operate in this kind of operational theatre.
"My parents and daughter are so happy that I am here and contributing in such a meaningful way. As a Filipino Australian, I am very proud to be representing the Australian Army here in the Philippines."
Throughout the course of his 15-year career in the Australian Army, Sergeant Martinez deployed to Afghanistan on Operation Slipper and conducted broader protection and maritime security operations for Operation Resolute.
"I remember seeing my first Anzac Day parade," Sergeant Martinez said.
"I was a very curious person. I did not know what I wanted to do back then, so I started doing some research and read about Australia's military history.
"That really resonated with me and inspired me to want to enlist in the Australian Army. So, I went to the Defence Force Recruiting website, clicked the link at the bottom of the page - and here I am back in the Philippines.
"To my fellow Filipino Australians who may be considering joining Defence, I highly recommend it. If you want adventure and wish to challenge yourself while making a valuable contribution to Australia, just do it."
Exercise Alon 25 demonstrates the strength of the partnership between Australia and the Philippines and allows both nations to practise multi-domain warfighting skills while collaborating on regional security.
More than 3600 personnel are participating in Exercise Alon 25, including members of the ADF and AFP, as well as elements of the Royal Canadian Navy and the United States Marine Corps' Marine Rotation Force - Darwin.
