Pacific Marines Stories

U.S. Marines with 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and U.S. Army soldiers with 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade pose for a group photo after participating in an Air Defense Artillery Fire Control Officer (ADAFCO) course on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Jan. 15, 2026. The certification of ADAFCOs within 3rd LAAB’s formation equips 3rd MLR with skilled Marines that are capable of managing and coordinating complex air defense operations, seamlessly integrating with joint service air and missile defense systems. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Malia Sparks) - U.S. Marines with 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and U.S. Army soldiers with 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade pose for a group photo after participating in an Air Defense Artillery Fire Control Officer (ADAFCO) course on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Jan. 15, 2026. The certification of ADAFCOs within 3rd LAAB’s formation equips 3rd MLR with skilled Marines that are capable of managing and coordinating complex air defense operations, seamlessly integrating with joint service air and missile defense systems. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Malia Sparks)

Investing in Air Defense: 3rd LAAB certifies ADAFCOs

3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, certified Air Defense Artillery Fire Control Officers following a three-week course taught by the Army’s Fires Center of Excellence aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Jan 23, 2025. Manned and trained with ADAFCOs, 3rd LAAB is better postured to integrate into joint air and missile defense systems and operations. The three-week course that was hosted by 3rd LAAB, brought together service members from across Hawaii. Students engaged in in-depth training on mission analysis, advanced battle management, command and control, and joint operations through classroom and practical exercises. The course was a result of a shared understanding across military branches in Hawaii that having ADAFCOs in the Indo-Pacific would lead to greater mission success.

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U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Kevin Price, right, a course instructor with Headquarters Company, 3rd Marine Division, demonstrates how to use a bag valve mask during a Combat Lifesaver Course at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 6, 2025. The 40-hour course prepares Marines to treat wounded service members, prevent additional casualties, and complete their missions while in combat. Price is a native of Illinois. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jackson Ricker) - U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Kevin Price, right, a course instructor with Headquarters Company, 3rd Marine Division, demonstrates how to use a bag valve mask during a Combat Lifesaver Course at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 6, 2025. The 40-hour course prepares Marines to treat wounded service members, prevent additional casualties, and complete their missions while in combat. Price is a native of Illinois. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jackson Ricker)

Combat Lifesaver Course | Lifesaving Skills in Life Threatening Conditions

Before the sun rises over Camp Hansen\, Marines from across III Marine Expeditionary Force gather inside a classroom lined with detailed medical diagrams. Each seat is prepared with a medical aid bag containing the essential tools needed to care for a wounded Marine in combat. Voluntarily\, these Marines have chosen to take the next step in Tactical Combat Casualty Care by earning the combat lifesaver (CLS) certification. Through courses like Combat Lifesaver, the Expeditionary Operations Training Group ensures III MEF Marines and corpsmen remain ready to preserve combat power, and the force, when it matters most. By instilling technical proficiency alongside disciplined communication and adaptability, EOTG’s instructor cadre embody the very principles they teach.

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U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Samuel Rockney, left, a native of California and a network administrator, and Lance Cpl. Taren Clemons, a native of Connecticut and a transmissions system operator, both with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, conduct radio checks during a communication exercise at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 11, 2026. - U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Samuel Rockney, left, a native of California and a network administrator, and Lance Cpl. Taren Clemons, a native of Connecticut and a transmissions system operator, both with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, conduct radio checks during a communication exercise at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 11, 2026. The 5th ANGLICO Marines rehearsed setting up and establishing communication assets in field environments to enhance their military occupation specialty knowledge and skills set. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Bridgette Rodriguez)

Linking the Chain: 5th ANGLICO Marines rehearse expeditionary communications capabilities

OKINAWA, Japan — For the Marines of 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (5th ANGLICO), seamlessly integrating fires and effects from the air, land, and sea, is the core of their mission and a skill they train for every day. This seamless integration not only requires complex problem solving and rapid deconfliction, but the ability to communicate across vast distances and in challenging terrain. From Feb. 13 to 16, 5th ANGLICO communications Marines conducted Communication Exercise 26.1 (COMMEX 26.1) to enhance the very same skills that allow 5th ANGLICO to connect the air, ground, and naval fight.

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U.S. Marines with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 153, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, pose for a group photo in front of a KC-130J during a deployment for training (DFT) at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, Feb. 16, 2026. The DFT accomplished unit level training objectives away from home station for both flight crew and maintenance and enhanced interoperability in a simulated contested environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Anabelle Reed-O’Brien) - U.S. Marines with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 153, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, pose for a group photo in front of a KC-130J during a deployment for training (DFT) at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, Feb. 16, 2026. The DFT accomplished unit level training objectives away from home station for both flight crew and maintenance and enhanced interoperability in a simulated contested environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Anabelle Reed-O’Brien)

Exercise Bright Horizon

From Jan. 29 to Feb. 17, fifty-nine Marines and two KC-130J aircraft assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 153 deployed to Texas for exercise Bright Horizon. The Detachment for Training (DFT) had one clear purpose: strengthen combat readiness away from home station and prepare the squadron for full operational capability.

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U.S. Marines and sailors assigned to Task Force Ashland, I Marine Expeditionary Force, pose for a photo as they prepare to debark amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) in support of Exercise Cobra Gold 2026 at Chuk Samet in the Gulf of Thailand, Feb. 22, 2026. Cobra Gold is the Indo-Pacific’s largest annual military exercise in mainland Asia, co-hosted by the U.S. and Thailand. The exercise brings together participants from multiple nations for military training and humanitarian projects that strengthen regional partnerships and demonstrate U.S. commitment to Indo-Pacific security. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brian Knowles) - U.S. Marines and sailors assigned to Task Force Ashland, I Marine Expeditionary Force, pose for a photo as they prepare to debark amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) in support of Exercise Cobra Gold 2026 at Chuk Samet in the Gulf of Thailand, Feb. 22, 2026. Cobra Gold is the Indo-Pacific’s largest annual military exercise in mainland Asia, co-hosted by the U.S. and Thailand. The exercise brings together participants from multiple nations for military training and humanitarian projects that strengthen regional partnerships and demonstrate U.S. commitment to Indo-Pacific security. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brian Knowles)

Task Force Ashland, USS Ashland arrive in Thailand for Exercise Cobra Gold 2026

CHUK SAMET, Thailand — Task Force (TF) Ashland, a forward-deployed force of U.S. Marines and Sailors aboard Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48), arrived in the Kingdom of Thailand, Feb. 22, to join approximately 8,000 service members from 30 nations for the 45th iteration of Exercise Cobra Gold, which runs from Feb. 24 to March 6, 2026.

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U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Ryan Wass, a sensor platoon maintenance chief with air control battery, 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, poses for a photo at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Feb. 27, 2026. - U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Ryan Wass, a sensor platoon maintenance chief with air control battery, 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, poses for a photo at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Feb. 27, 2026. Wass was recognized as the U.S. Missile Defender of the Year for the Marine Corps during the 16th Annual Missile Defender of the Year Awards ceremony in Alexandria, Virginia, Jan. 16, 2026. Wass is a native of Arizona. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ernesto Lagunes)

3rd LAAB Marine named U.S. Missile Defender of the Year

Sgt. Ryan Wass, a sensor platoon maintenance chief with air control battery, 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, was recognized as the U.S. Missile Defender of the Year for the Marine Corps during the 16th Annual Missile Defender of the Year Award Ceremony in Alexandria, Virginia, Jan. 16, 2026.

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U.S. Marines with 3rd Littoral Combat Team, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, maneuver toward an objective during a live-fire training event at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Feb. 3, 2026. - U.S. Marines with 3rd Littoral Combat Team, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, maneuver toward an objective during a live-fire training event at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Feb. 3, 2026. The training exercise at PTA refined weapon system and tactical proficiency, strengthening overall combat readiness and preparing 3rd LCT for future operational requirements. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Iyer Ramakrishna)

Distributed Maritime Operations: 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment certifies its Marines during 2026 MCCRE

U.S. Marines and Sailors with 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment executed a suite of dry-fire and live-fire ranges that concluded with a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation, February 6-11, 2026. The series of ranges and subsequent evaluation validated weapon system and tactical proficiency, bolstering warfighting readiness and preparing the unit for future operational requirements as a premier Stand-in Force within the Indo-Pacific.

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Two members of the Republic of the Philippines army play Taps during the first-ever Repatriation Ceremony held at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines for U.S. personnel who were disinterred there, March 6, 2026. - Currently, there are 71,783 U.S. personnel unaccounted for from World War II with approximately 10,000 missing in the Philippines, the largest total for any single country. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Lt. Col. George Tobias)

DPAA Conducts First Ever Repatriation Ceremony at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial: Marks 100 Disinterments in FY2026

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency conducted for the first time a Repatriation Ceremony at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, March 6, 2026. The ceremony also marked the first time in over five years that 100 disinterments had occurred in a fiscal year. Hosted by DPAA and the American Battle Monuments Commission, the event honored the sacrifice of the fallen U.S. personnel who could not be identified at the end of World War II and marks the start of the journey to the Daniel K. Inouye DPAA Center for Excellence, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for potential identification.

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U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, took part in a pre-deployment brief for Korean Marine Exchange Program 26.1 at Camp Kinser, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 5, 2026. The brief gave Marines the opportunity to learn about financial advice, laws and the cultural differences they will experience during their time in Korea. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Matthew Borruso) - U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, took part in a pre-deployment brief for Korean Marine Exchange Program 26.1 at Camp Kinser, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 5, 2026. The brief gave Marines the opportunity to learn about financial advice, laws and the cultural differences they will experience during their time in Korea. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Matthew Borruso)

CLR-37 Korean Marine Exchange Program 26.1 Brief

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, took part in a pre-deployment brief for Korean Marine Exchange Program 26.1 at Camp Kinser, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 5, 2026. The brief gave Marines the opportunity to learn about financial advice, laws and the cultural differences they will experience during their deployment in Korea.

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U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Cody Overacker, center, a rifleman with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, forward deployed with 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division as part of the Unit Deployment Program, teaches a class on the M3A1 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System during Korea Viper 26.2 at Suesong-ri range in Pohang, South Korea, Feb. 20, 2026. Korea Viper is a recurring exercise series that demonstrates the Republic of Korea and U.S. Marine Corps' ability to respond decisively in the region as a singular, unified force while strengthening relationships and trust between the two allies. Overacker is a native of California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Tucker Mocan) - U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Cody Overacker, center, a rifleman with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, forward deployed with 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division as part of the Unit Deployment Program, teaches a class on the M3A1 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System during Korea Viper 26.2 at Suesong-ri range in Pohang, South Korea, Feb. 20, 2026. Korea Viper is a recurring exercise series that demonstrates the Republic of Korea and U.S. Marine Corps' ability to respond decisively in the region as a singular, unified force while strengthening relationships and trust between the two allies. Overacker is a native of California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Tucker Mocan)

Backbone of the Battalion: 2/7 NCOs Sharpen Combat Readiness

“I should be setting the example in and out of the uniform. It is everything,” said Sgt. Cody Overacker, a squad leader and M3A1 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System gunner with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. “In uniform, I stay hungry and strive to improve every single day. I’m constantly studying our adversaries and their capabilities to ensure we’re prepared.” During the live-fire range, the Marines trained to increase proficiency with their M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles during the day. After the range had concluded, Overacker taught several classes on proper use of the M3A1 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System, including tactical positioning of the weapon system, and how to properly communicate when employing it, ensuring his Marines are prepared to employ the MAAWS effectively in combat.

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