Pacific Marines Stories

U.S. Marines with 1st Marine Division watch a vendor loaned small unmanned aircraft system fly during Project G.I. at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Aug. 26, 2025. - U.S. Marines with 1st Marine Division watch a vendor loaned small unmanned aircraft system fly during Project G.I. at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Aug. 26, 2025. The Defense Innovation Unit’s Project G.I. Challenge brought together Marines with I Marine Expeditionary Force, industry partners, and Department of Defense leaders to evaluate commercial sUAS, with Marine feedback shaping future procurement decisions and advancing modernization for contested environments. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Sawyer Carleton)

U.S. Marines with 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division pose for a photo with various unmanned systems on Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 13, 2025. This class, which certifies Marines to fly multiple variants of sUAS, was the first time untethered drones were flown over a military installation on Okinawa under the Secretary of Defense's new guidance, which seeks to expand the use of small, American-made drones to enhance military capabilities. From left to right, the unmanned platforms are the Mission Master Silent Partner Unmanned Ground Vehicle, the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System (TRUAS), the RQ20-B Puma, the Stalker UAS, and the in-flight, Skydio X2D. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joaquin Dela Torre) - U.S. Marines with 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division pose for a photo with various unmanned systems on Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 13, 2025. This class, which certifies Marines to fly multiple variants of sUAS, was the first time untethered drones were flown over a military installation on Okinawa under the Secretary of Defense's new guidance, which seeks to expand the use of small, American-made drones to enhance military capabilities. From left to right, the unmanned platforms are the Mission Master Silent Partner Unmanned Ground Vehicle, the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System (TRUAS), the RQ20-B Puma, the Stalker UAS, and the in-flight, Skydio X2D. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joaquin Dela Torre)

A U.S. Army AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopter assigned to the 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, engages a simulated target at the joint land strike exercise with the Indonesian National Armed Forces and Australian Defence Forces during Super Garuda Shield 25 in Baturaja, Indonesia, Sept. 1, 2025. - A U.S. Army AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopter assigned to the 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, engages a simulated target at the joint land strike exercise with the Indonesian National Armed Forces and Australian Defence Forces during Super Garuda Shield 25 in Baturaja, Indonesia, Sept. 1, 2025. Super Garuda Shield is an annual exercise between the Indonesian National Armed Forces and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, and cooperation. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Seu Chan)

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Cpl. Leighton Willhite, who served in the Battle of Iwo Jima, views the name painted on a World War II-era Sherman Tank at the Museum Support Facility in Dumfries, Virginia. - U.S. Marine Corps veteran Cpl. Leighton Willhite, who served in the Battle of Iwo Jima, views the name painted on a World War II-era Sherman Tank at the Museum Support Facility in Dumfries, Virginia.

KMEP is conducted regularly between the ROK and U.S. Marine Corps to increase their combined capabilities through realistic training geared towards deterrence and maintaining peace in the Indo-Pacific. Patris is a native of Oklahoma. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kanoa Thomas) - U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Anthony Patris, an infantry infantry unit leader with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines, forward deployed with 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division as part of the Unit Deployment Program, collects expended brass with a Republic of Korea Marine with 1st Marine Division, ROK Marine Corps, during the Korean Marine Exercise Program 25.2 in Pohang, South Korea, July 29, 2025.

The I Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general salutes the colors with past I MEF commanding generals during the I MEF change of command ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Aug. 21, 2025 - The I Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general salutes the colors with past I MEF commanding generals during the I MEF change of command ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Aug. 21, 2025. Lt. Gen. Michael S. Cederholm relinquished command of I MEF to Lt. Gen. Christian F. Wortman during the ceremony, signifying the transfer of command and responsibility of I MEF. I MEF provides combatant commanders a globally responsive, expeditionary, and fully scalable Marine Air-Ground Task Force, capable of generating, deploying, and employing ready forces and formations for crisis response, forward presence, major combat operations, and campaigns. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jordan Searls)

U.S. Navy Seaman Tristian Flowers, left, a builder constructionman with Airfield Construction Company Bravo, Naval Mobile Construction Group 5, Naval Construction Force, and U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jose Rodriguez, a combat engineer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, rake concrete during Operation Resilient Spear at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, Aug. 8, 2025. Operation Resilient Spear is an opportunity for Marines with MWSS-372 to integrate and train with NMCB-5 through Base Recovery After Attack and Airfield Damage Repair Training to increase interoperability between Marine Corps engineers and Navy Seabees. Flowers is a native of New York, and Rodriguez is a native of California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alexander Vaughn) - U.S. Navy Seaman Tristian Flowers, left, a builder constructionman with Airfield Construction Company Bravo, Naval Mobile Construction Group 5, Naval Construction Force, and U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jose Rodriguez, a combat engineer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, rake concrete during Operation Resilient Spear at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, Aug. 8, 2025. Operation Resilient Spear is an opportunity for Marines with MWSS-372 to integrate and train with NMCB-5 through Base Recovery After Attack and Airfield Damage Repair Training to increase interoperability between Marine Corps engineers and Navy Seabees. Flowers is a native of New York, and Rodriguez is a native of California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alexander Vaughn)

uniformed U.S. Airmen wearing headsets fly MQ-9 simulators - 17th Attack Squadron MQ-9 pilots fly in Bamboo Eagle 25-3, a combat-realistic scenario in combined live-fly, virtual, and constructive exercise, at the 705th Combat Training Squadron, also known as the Distributed Mission Operations Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, on Aug. 5, 2025. The DMOC's live, virtual, and constructive, or LVC, training environment provides a high-fidelity proving ground where commanders and battle managers can practice decision-making in contested, degraded, and operationally complex environments without risk to life or assets. (Screens and whiteboards were blurred and security badges were removed for security purposes. Photo cropped to focus on subject.) (U.S. Air Force photo by Amn Alenne Mojica)

An MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 363, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin 25.3, flies in a formation flight with CV-22 Ospreys assigned to 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, near Lal-lo, Philippines, during a foreign disaster relief operation, Aug. 3, 2025. - An MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 363, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin 25.3, flies in a formation flight with CV-22 Ospreys assigned to 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, near Lal-lo, Philippines, during a foreign disaster relief operation, Aug. 3, 2025. At the request of the Government of the Philippines, the MRF-D 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force is working alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines to provide foreign disaster relief to communities affected by consecutive storms and the southwest monsoon. The forward presence and ready posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command in the region facilitates rapid and effective response to crisis, demonstrating the U.S.’s commitment to Allies and partners during times of need. MRF-D is an annual six-month rotational deployment to enhance interoperability with the Australian Defence Force and allies and partners and provide a forward postured crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Angelina Sara)