Pacific Marines Stories

U.S. Marines with Company C, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, participate in a conditioning hike during Exercise Southern Jackaroo 2015 June 14 at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland, Australia. SJ15 was a combined training opportunity for the Marines with their Australian allies that helped to improve interoperability between the two forces. The U.S. Marine Corps and the Australian Defence Forces are committed to continuing their tradition of more than 100 years of global partnership and security cooperation between Australia and the United States of America. - U.S. Marines with Company C, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, participate in a conditioning hike during Exercise Southern Jackaroo 2015 June 14 at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland, Australia. SJ15 was a combined training opportunity for the Marines with their Australian allies that helped to improve interoperability between the two forces. The U.S. Marine Corps and the Australian Defence Forces are committed to continuing their tradition of more than 100 years of global partnership and security cooperation between Australia and the United States of America.

U.S. Marines salute while performing the drill movement “eyes-right” during the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps Day Parade April 25 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. ANZAC Day commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops on the Gallipoli peninsula April 25, 1915. This year marked the 100th anniversary of the landing. Marine Rotational Force - Darwin is an excellent opportunity to improve our knowledge of one another’s customs and traditions which ultimately strengthen our military interoperability. The Marines are with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, MRF-D. - U.S. Marines salute while performing the drill movement “eyes-right” during the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps Day Parade April 25 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. ANZAC Day commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops on the Gallipoli peninsula April 25, 1915. This year marked the 100th anniversary of the landing. Marine Rotational Force - Darwin is an excellent opportunity to improve our knowledge of one another’s customs and traditions which ultimately strengthen our military interoperability. The Marines are with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, MRF-D.

Left to right: Lieutenant Luke Morgan, Alpha Troop Commander, 1st Transport Squadron, 1st Combat Service Support Battalion; Lt. Stephen Weir, operations officer with 105 Signal Squadron, 1st Combat Signal Regiment; Sgt. Bradley S. Minge, color sergeant with Headquarters and Support Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin; Lt. Katherine Newson, maritime logistics officer with Headquarters Northern Command, Joint Operations Command - Australian Theatre; Flight Lieutenant Heath Fulton, operations officer with Joint Task Force 639 ACCE, Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Darwin, Australia. The service members stand before the new location for the national and ensign flags during a ceremony to mark the relocation of service flags April 26 at the Darwin Memorial United Church, Darwin, Australia. The service of worship and ceremony was held in order to relocate the flags to the foyer to create more room for the "Fujita" Peace and Reconciliation Exhibition. Events in the community allow Marines to learn about the history the U.S. and Australia share, and to further the longstanding relationship between the U.S. and Australia. - Left to right: Lieutenant Luke Morgan, Alpha Troop Commander, 1st Transport Squadron, 1st Combat Service Support Battalion; Lt. Stephen Weir, operations officer with 105 Signal Squadron, 1st Combat Signal Regiment; Sgt. Bradley S. Minge, color sergeant with Headquarters and Support Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin; Lt. Katherine Newson, maritime logistics officer with Headquarters Northern Command, Joint Operations Command - Australian Theatre; Flight Lieutenant Heath Fulton, operations officer with Joint Task Force 639 ACCE, Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Darwin, Australia. The service members stand before the new location for the national and ensign flags during a ceremony to mark the relocation of service flags April 26 at the Darwin Memorial United Church, Darwin, Australia. The service of worship and ceremony was held in order to relocate the flags to the foyer to create more room for the "Fujita" Peace and Reconciliation Exhibition. Events in the community allow Marines to learn about the history the U.S. and Australia share, and to further the longstanding relationship between the U.S. and Australia.

Lance Corporal John Porter has his gear inspected upon arrival April 14 to Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Darwin, Australia, to begin Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 2015. Approximately 20 percent of Marines’ gear was inspected by the biosecurity officers with the Australian Department of Agriculture for any foreign soil, plants or seeds. MRF-D is the deployment of U.S. Marines to Darwin and the Northern Territory, for approximately six months at a time, where they will conduct exercises and training on a rotational basis with the Australian Defence Force. Porter, a Chicago, Illinois, native, is a rifleman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin. - Lance Corporal John Porter has his gear inspected upon arrival April 14 to Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Darwin, Australia, to begin Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 2015. Approximately 20 percent of Marines’ gear was inspected by the biosecurity officers with the Australian Department of Agriculture for any foreign soil, plants or seeds. MRF-D is the deployment of U.S. Marines to Darwin and the Northern Territory, for approximately six months at a time, where they will conduct exercises and training on a rotational basis with the Australian Defence Force. Porter, a Chicago, Illinois, native, is a rifleman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin.

Two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters sit in pieces in Hangar 101 March 17, 2015, while they are cleaned for an upcoming inspection later this month. Marines attached to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 prepared five aircraft to send to Marine Rotational Force Darwin, Australia later this year. It takes 1,500 man-hours per aircraft to make the aircraft inspection-ready. - Two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters sit in pieces in Hangar 101 March 17, 2015, while they are cleaned for an upcoming inspection later this month. Marines attached to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 prepared five aircraft to send to Marine Rotational Force Darwin, Australia later this year. It takes 1,500 man-hours per aircraft to make the aircraft inspection-ready.

Lt. Col. Keven Matthews, commanding officer of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, and Brig. Gen. John Frewen, 1st Brigade commanding general and senior Australian Defence Force officer for Robertson Barracks, approach the battalion together before Frewen addresses MRF-D Marines about the six-month rotation, expectations and the significance of their presence, April 11. Frewen said the rotation is a tangible sign of the strength between Australia and the United States. - Lt. Col. Keven Matthews, commanding officer of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, and Brig. Gen. John Frewen, 1st Brigade commanding general and senior Australian Defence Force officer for Robertson Barracks, approach the battalion together before Frewen addresses MRF-D Marines about the six-month rotation, expectations and the significance of their presence, April 11. Frewen said the rotation is a tangible sign of the strength between Australia and the United States.

A Marine with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 sits on top of a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter as it is loaded onto a U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay here March 23. HMH-463 is a part of the Aviation Combat Element deploying to Australia for this iteration of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin. - A Marine with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 sits on top of a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter as it is loaded onto a U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay here March 23. HMH-463 is a part of the Aviation Combat Element deploying to Australia for this iteration of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin.

Cpl. Frank Smith, Weapons Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, pours himself a drink from the Sallyman truck during Exercise Koolendong, here, Sept. 4. The truck's driver, Arnold Beazley, a Salvation Army representative known as the Sallyman, delivers cold beverages and snacks to Australian soldiers and MRF-D Marines during field operations. - Cpl. Frank Smith, Weapons Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, pours himself a drink from the Sallyman truck during Exercise Koolendong, here, Sept. 4. The truck's driver, Arnold Beazley, a Salvation Army representative known as the Sallyman, delivers cold beverages and snacks to Australian soldiers and MRF-D Marines during field operations.

Two Marines with Weapons Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, fire 60mm mortars as part of a live-fire training event, ensuring they have accurate aim on the simulated enemy force, here, during Exercise Koolendong, Sept. 1. This training evolution is the first of its kind here in which Marines with MRF-D and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit worked bilaterally with the Australian soldiers of Bravo Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment as a "proof of concept" to assess the capacity of the training ranges to support a battalion-sized live-fire event. - Two Marines with Weapons Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, fire 60mm mortars as part of a live-fire training event, ensuring they have accurate aim on the simulated enemy force, here, during Exercise Koolendong, Sept. 1. This training evolution is the first of its kind here in which Marines with MRF-D and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit worked bilaterally with the Australian soldiers of Bravo Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment as a "proof of concept" to assess the capacity of the training ranges to support a battalion-sized live-fire event.