Marines and Sailors of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) joined members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Australian Defence Force (ADF) for Exercise Alon, part of Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2023. Alon, a Filipino word which translates to waves in English, refers amphibious nature of the exercise which included ship-to-shore movements conducted by the combined force.“Exercise Alon has been two years in the making – what started off as just a concept is now coming to fruition,” said the Commander of the Amphibious Task Force, Royal Australian Navy CAPT Phillipa Hay. “It's a great pleasure to be operating with the Filipinos and particularly to be able to exercise and bring together an integrated force in Filipino waters.”The

In the pursuit of enhancing security and defense capabilities, the Philippines and the United States armed forces have developed longstanding partnerships characterized by trust and cooperation. These partnerships, based upon the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and subsequent agreements, have enabled numerous joint exercises across all service components, including Marine Aviation Support Activity 23 (MASA). During MASA, U.S. Marines exercised with Philippine counterparts to increase military preparedness and interoperability, contributing to regional stability.This year was the first time Marine Rotational Force – Darwin participated in MASA. The command element of the Marine Air Ground Task Force deployed forward to command

Marines and Sailors from Marine Rotational Force - Darwin participated in Exercise Southern Jackaroo 23, a joint military exercise conducted by the Australian Defence Force, Japanese Ground Self Defense Force, and the United States Marine Corps. Hosted at the Townsville Field Training Area in Queensland, the exercise focused on improving warfighting tactics at the small-unit level, leading to increases in efficiencies and interoperability between forces.“This series of warfighting exercises enables the Army to integrate our allies and Pacific family into our combined arms organization,” said Brigadier Michael Say, Commander 7th Brigade. “It demonstrates that we are committed to assisting our partners not only through disaster relief, but

MV-22B pilots from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 (VMM-363) Reinforced, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 23, recently refreshed their deck landing qualifications via the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Adelaide, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The integrated training was in preparation for upcoming combined exercises where four MV-22B Ospreys from MRF-D will embark on HMAS Canberra to conduct combined amphibious operations.“Deck landing operations are perishable skills that require regular practice to maintain proficiency,” said Capt. Colton Morris, an MV-22B pilot with VMM-363 (REIN). “The repetitive nature of these exercises instills confidence and familiarity, reducing the likelihood of errors during critical moments — this

Alongside Allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) stands ready to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) to those in need. In a demonstration of combined readiness and interoperability, service members from the Australian Defence Force, Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and MRF-D came together to conduct Exercise Crocodile Response 23, a trilateral training evolution conducted in Indonesia and Northern Australia.From 5-25 June 2023, combined forces conducted training in three distinct phases. The first in the series, the academics phase, took place in Bogor, Indonesia, where subject matter experts led classroom discussions on lessons learned from previous HA/DR

DARWIN, AUSTRALIA. – The arrival of the United States Marines for the 12th iteration of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) marks a significant event for the Australia-U.S. Alliance.The annual rotation of a combat credible Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) to Darwin, Australia, is designed to enhance interoperability and cooperation between the two nations' armed forces, providing valuable training opportunities with Allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. Components of the MAGTF include a Command Element, Logistics Combat Element, Ground Combat Element, and Aviation Combat Element.This year’s rotation is led by Colonel Brendan Sullivan, commanding officer of MRF-D 23. The Command Element is made up of Marines and Sailors