Pacific Marines Stories

3rd Medical Battalion Preventative Medicine Joint Training

Preventive medicine technicians with 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, and Airmen with the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron, and 18th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, both with 18th Wing, conducted joint preventive medicine training at the Jungle Warfare Training Center, May 4-8, 2026. The training enhanced proficiency in pest management, insect identification, sanitation, water testing and disease mitigation, strengthening participants’ ability to operate in austere environments while protecting force health.

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Camp Bastion Heroes Exemplified ‘Every Marine a Rifleman’

As Americans observe Memorial Day, a day of solemn remembrance for the nation’s fallen service members, the story of the 2012 attack on Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, serves as a powerful illustration of the sacrifices made and the foundational ethos of the United States Marine Corps: "Every Marine a rifleman." The battle, which claimed the lives of two heroic Marines and wounded several others, underscores that on any battlefield, at any moment, every Marine is expected to fight and win.

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Marines aboard a UH-1Y Venom assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, toss a first person view unmanned aircraft system during an integration assessment exercise at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, May 13, 2026. - Marines aboard a UH-1Y Venom assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, toss a first person view unmanned aircraft system during an integration assessment exercise at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, May 13, 2026. The collaborative exercise allowed Marines to determine the feasibility of using FPV UAS from an aircraft and evaluate how to best integrate them to increase combat capabilities and lethality. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Symira Bostic)

H-1s Become Drone Control Platforms

In a significant leap forward for aerial warfare, the U.S. Marine Corps has successfully integrated its iconic H-1 helicopter fleet with advanced, low-cost drone technology, demonstrating a new and lethal capability for the modern battlefield. During a recent exercise, Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 169, Marine Air Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1stMarine Division, showcased the ability of the UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters to act as airborne motherships, extending the reach and lethality of first-person view drones to strike targets from unprecedented distances.

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Balikatan 2026: U.S. Marines, Sailors Support School Beautification Effort with Philippine Partners

U.S. Marines and Sailors with Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, worked alongside Armed Forces of the Philippines service members with Southern Luzon Command and local volunteers during Brigada Eskwela 2026 (School Brigade) at Atimonan National Comprehensive High School, Senior High School, in Barangay Buhangin, Atimonan, Quezon.

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U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, fire a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during a live fire training event at the Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan, May 20, 2026 - U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, fire a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during a live fire training event at the Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan, May 20, 2026. HIMARS training at Camp Fuji offers unique advantages, including realistic training terrain, adequate range capacity, and specialized infrastructure necessary to safely and effectively support HIMARS operations. This training validates Camp Fuji’s capability to support long-range fires and reflects our commitment to maintaining readiness and maximizing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Skilah Sanchez)

CATC Fuji HIMARS Live-Fire Training

U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, successfully conducted a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) live-fire training event at Combined Arms Training Center (CATC), Camp Fuji on May 20, 2026. This training was designed to enhance the readiness and lethality of 3rd Marine Division Marines while adhering to the highest standards of safety, reinforcing the Corps’ commitment to regional security and the defense of Japan.

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A U.S. Marine Corps wideband satellite-expeditionary assigned to 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, operates atop a hill during Kaiju Rain 26 at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, May 6, 2026. Kaiju Rain 26 is a III MIG-led exercise, focused on integrating multi-domain information capabilities, strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance, and supporting regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ramon Cardoza) - A U.S. Marine Corps wideband satellite-expeditionary assigned to 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, operates atop a hill during Kaiju Rain 26 at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, May 6, 2026. Kaiju Rain 26 is a III MIG-led exercise, focused on integrating multi-domain information capabilities, strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance, and supporting regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ramon Cardoza)

7th Communication Battalion Marines sustain command and control during Kaiju Rain 26

CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan—Marines with 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, established a communication node at Camp Shields after displacing from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma during Kaiju Rain 26, May 8, 2026.

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A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Type 88 Surface-to-Ship Missile System assigned to 1st Artillery Brigade, fires while positioned next to a Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System and Marine Air-Defense Integrated System, both with 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, at a joint task force maritime strike event during Exercise Balikatan 2026 at Paoay Sand Dunes, Philippines, May 6, 2026. - A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Type 88 Surface-to-Ship Missile System assigned to 1st Artillery Brigade, fires while positioned next to a Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System and Marine Air-Defense Integrated System, both with 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, at a joint task force maritime strike event during Exercise Balikatan 2026 at Paoay Sand Dunes, Philippines, May 6, 2026. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military that represents the strength of our alliance, improves our capable combined force, and demonstrates our commitment to regional peace and prosperity. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jonathan Beauchamp)

3rd MLR Serves as Mission Commander for Combined, Joint Maritime Strike

In a powerful demonstration of allied interoperability, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment served as the mission commander for a complex, live-fire maritime strike, as a culminating event during Exercise Balikatan 2026, integrating Philippine, U.S., and Japanese strike capabilities. The operation showcased the Hawaii-based regiment's ability to seamlessly connect a vast network of combined and joint partners, orchestrating precise, layered maritime firepower.

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U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Trey Leonard, a rifleman assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, conducts a live-fire exercise during Exercise Balikatan 2026 at Philippines Naval Detachment Oyster Bay, Palawan, Philippines, May 5, 2026. - U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Trey Leonard, a rifleman assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, conducts a live-fire exercise during Exercise Balikatan 2026 at Philippines Naval Detachment Oyster Bay, Palawan, Philippines, May 5, 2026. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military that represents the strength of our alliance, improves our capable combined force, and demonstrates our commitment to regional peace and prosperity. Leonard is native of Texas. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Caleb Goodwin)

Certified! MRF-D 26 is Darwin’s first-ever Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force

Under the Palawan sun, in the austerity and humidity of Balabac, Philippines, U.S. Marines and Sailors assigned to I and III Marine Expeditionary Forces completed the final rigorous requirements for Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 26 to be certified as a Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, May 3, 2026.

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From left, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Robert Bunn, deputy commanding officer of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force for Exercise Balikatan 2026, Brig. Gen. Omar Randall, commanding general of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026, Navy Command Master Chief Casey Wheeler, senior enlisted leader of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026, and Master Gunnery Sgt. Rene Camarillo, senior enlisted leader of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026 command element, pose for a photo with Marines and Sailors with the command element for the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026 on Fort Bonifacio, Philippines, May 7, 2026. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military that represents the strength of our alliance, improves our capable combined force, and demonstrates our commitment to regional peace and prosperity. (U.S. Marine Corps courtesy photo by 1st Lt. Chase Colin) - From left, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Robert Bunn, deputy commanding officer of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force for Exercise Balikatan 2026, Brig. Gen. Omar Randall, commanding general of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026, Navy Command Master Chief Casey Wheeler, senior enlisted leader of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026, and Master Gunnery Sgt. Rene Camarillo, senior enlisted leader of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026 command element, pose for a photo with Marines and Sailors with the command element for the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026 on Fort Bonifacio, Philippines, May 7, 2026. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military that represents the strength of our alliance, improves our capable combined force, and demonstrates our commitment to regional peace and prosperity. (U.S. Marine Corps courtesy photo by 1st Lt. Chase Colin)

From crisis response to full-scale operations, MAGTF delivers during Balikatan 2026

Within hours of the start of Exercise Balikatan 2026, U.S. and Philippine forces shifted from training to real-world crisis response. On April 20 near Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan, Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. forces participating in Exercise Balikatan 2026 responded to a vehicular accident involving Filipino civilians, rapidly coordinating rescue and medical evacuation efforts in a complex environment.

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From left, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Robert Bunn, deputy commanding officer of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force for Exercise Balikatan 2026, Brig. Gen. Omar Randall, commanding general of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026, Navy Command Master Chief Casey Wheeler, senior enlisted leader of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026, and Master Gunnery Sgt. Rene Camarillo, senior enlisted leader of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026 command element, pose for a photo with Marines and Sailors with the command element for the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026 on Fort Bonifacio, Philippines, May 7, 2026. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military that represents the strength of our alliance, improves our capable combined force, and demonstrates our commitment to regional peace and prosperity. (U.S. Marine Corps courtesy photo by 1st Lt. Chase Colin) - From left, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Robert Bunn, deputy commanding officer of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force for Exercise Balikatan 2026, Brig. Gen. Omar Randall, commanding general of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026, Navy Command Master Chief Casey Wheeler, senior enlisted leader of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026, and Master Gunnery Sgt. Rene Camarillo, senior enlisted leader of the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026 command element, pose for a photo with Marines and Sailors with the command element for the MAGTF for Exercise Balikatan 2026 on Fort Bonifacio, Philippines, May 7, 2026. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military that represents the strength of our alliance, improves our capable combined force, and demonstrates our commitment to regional peace and prosperity. (U.S. Marine Corps courtesy photo by 1st Lt. Chase Colin)

From crisis response to full-scale operations, MAGTF delivers during Balikatan 2026

Within hours of the start of Exercise Balikatan 2026, U.S. and Philippine forces shifted from training to real-world crisis response. On April 20 near Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan, Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. forces participating in Exercise Balikatan 2026 responded to a vehicular accident involving Filipino civilians, rapidly coordinating rescue and medical evacuation efforts in a complex environment.

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