US efforts in the southern Philippines

A quiet battle being waged on Mininao and the Sulu archipelago as reported by the Stars & Stripes:

continuous presence in the southern Philippines since July 2002, with people rotating in and out about every six months, said Army Lt. Col. Mark Zimmer, task force spokesman.

The mission is counterterrorism.

Predominately Muslim and poor, Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago in the southern Philippines are considered a terrorist hotbed. Navy Adm. William Fallon, U.S. Pacific Command commander, recently said those areas “remain a sanctuary, training and recruiting ground for terrorist organizations.”