Pacific Marines Stories

U.S. Marines assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Sailors assigned to the amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25) man the rails as Somerset pulls into port for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, July 3. Twenty-nine nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 27 to Aug. 1. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2024 is the 29th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Patrick Katz) - U.S. Marines assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Sailors assigned to the amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25) man the rails as Somerset pulls into port for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, July 3. Twenty-nine nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 27 to Aug. 1. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2024 is the 29th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Patrick Katz)

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 13, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, execute the deconstruction phase of the Peleliu Civic Center restoration project on Peleliu, Republic of Palau, July 1, 2024, an effort c to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Peleliu. Koa Moana’s deployment throughout the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Marines and Sailors from I Marine Expeditionary Force, work to strengthen alliances and partnerships with development of interoperable capabilities, combined operations, theater security cooperation, and capacity-building efforts. Exercises like Koa Moana administer 1st MLG to tackle complex challenges by fostering collaboration among bold thinkers and employing creative methods to optimize prepositioning, enhance sustainment and distribution networks, and bolster readiness in distributed environments such as Palau, the Federal States of Micronesia, and Papua New Guinea. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brandon Marrero) - U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 13, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, execute the deconstruction phase of the Peleliu Civic Center restoration project on Peleliu, Republic of Palau, July 1, 2024, an effort c to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Peleliu. Koa Moana’s deployment throughout the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Marines and Sailors from I Marine Expeditionary Force, work to strengthen alliances and partnerships with development of interoperable capabilities, combined operations, theater security cooperation, and capacity-building efforts. Exercises like Koa Moana administer 1st MLG to tackle complex challenges by fostering collaboration among bold thinkers and employing creative methods to optimize prepositioning, enhance sustainment and distribution networks, and bolster readiness in distributed environments such as Palau, the Federal States of Micronesia, and Papua New Guinea. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brandon Marrero)

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Robert Guyette, an F-35B Lightning II pilot and commanding officer of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, places an American flag and an Australian flag in the cockpit of a Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to RAAF No. 75 Squadron before a bilateral training flight at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory, Australia, June 20, 2024. Leaders with VMFA-214, a USMC F-35B squadron, flew the RAAF F-35A during bilateral training, exhibiting interchangeability between RAAF and U.S. Marine aviation. VMFA-214 deployed more than 200 Marines and eight F-35B Lightning II aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, to RAAF Base Tindal, Australia, to conduct bilateral training with the RAAF No. 3 Squadron and No. 75 Squadron. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Nicholas Johnson) - U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Robert Guyette, an F-35B Lightning II pilot and commanding officer of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, places an American flag and an Australian flag in the cockpit of a Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to RAAF No. 75 Squadron before a bilateral training flight at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory, Australia, June 20, 2024. Leaders with VMFA-214, a USMC F-35B squadron, flew the RAAF F-35A during bilateral training, exhibiting interchangeability between RAAF and U.S. Marine aviation. VMFA-214 deployed more than 200 Marines and eight F-35B Lightning II aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, to RAAF Base Tindal, Australia, to conduct bilateral training with the RAAF No. 3 Squadron and No. 75 Squadron. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Nicholas Johnson)

U.S. Marines inspect a load of cargo secured to a Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System before flight at a coastal defense site during Archipelagic Coastal Defense Continuum on Kamuning Beach, Palawan, Philippines, May 15, 2024. The TRUAS is a Class 3 unmanned aerial vehicle that can deliver supplies to remote and inaccessible areas. CLB-15 is employing the TRUAS as part of experimentation for expeditionary resupply concepts. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Helms) - U.S. Marines inspect a load of cargo secured to a Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System before flight at a coastal defense site during Archipelagic Coastal Defense Continuum on Kamuning Beach, Palawan, Philippines, May 15, 2024. The TRUAS is a Class 3 unmanned aerial vehicle that can deliver supplies to remote and inaccessible areas. CLB-15 is employing the TRUAS as part of experimentation for expeditionary resupply concepts. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Helms)

Service members from the United States, Australia, the Republic of the Philippines, and the United Kingdom, pose for a photo after the opening ceremony of Exercise Predator’s Run 24 at Robertson Barracks, NT, Australia, July 15, 2024. Exercise Predator’s Run 24 is a littoral-focused, multilateral training exercise led by the Australian Army’s 1st Brigade, involving the Australian Defence Force, British Armed Forces, and the U.S. Marine Corps. Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 24.3’s participation in Exercise Predator’s Run 24 increases interoperability with Allies and partners, highlighting the effectiveness of combined operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Cristian Bestul) - Service members from the United States, Australia, the Republic of the Philippines, and the United Kingdom, pose for a photo after the opening ceremony of Exercise Predator’s Run 24 at Robertson Barracks, NT, Australia, July 15, 2024. Exercise Predator’s Run 24 is a littoral-focused, multilateral training exercise led by the Australian Army’s 1st Brigade, involving the Australian Defence Force, British Armed Forces, and the U.S. Marine Corps. Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 24.3’s participation in Exercise Predator’s Run 24 increases interoperability with Allies and partners, highlighting the effectiveness of combined operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Cristian Bestul)

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Soldiers with the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force pose for a photo on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, July 11, 2024. CLB-31 hosted the ARDB to foster mutual understanding and improving interoperability between the two forces by sharing a wide range of capabilities and practices. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force, ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premiere crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Juan K. Maldonado) - U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Soldiers with the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force pose for a photo on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, July 11, 2024. CLB-31 hosted the ARDB to foster mutual understanding and improving interoperability between the two forces by sharing a wide range of capabilities and practices. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force, ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premiere crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Juan K. Maldonado)

U.S. Marines and Sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 13, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, provide humanitarian disaster relief preparation by offloading approximately one thousand bags of rice and three thousand cases of water to Federal States of Micronesia outer island of Chuuk during exercise Koa Moana 24 in the Chuuk Lagoon, July 5-9, 2024. During Koa Moana’s deployment throughout the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Marines and Sailors from I Marine Expeditionary Force work to strengthen alliances and partnerships with development of interoperable capabilities, combined operations, theater security cooperation, and capacity-building efforts. Exercises like Koa Moana administer 1st MLG to tackle complex challenges by fostering collaboration among bold thinkers and employing creative methods to optimize prepositioning, enhance sustainment and distribution networks, and bolster readiness in distributed environments such as Palau, the Federal States of Micronesia, and Papua New Guinea. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Sean Arnold) - U.S. Marines and Sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 13, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, provide humanitarian disaster relief preparation by offloading approximately one thousand bags of rice and three thousand cases of water to Federal States of Micronesia outer island of Chuuk during exercise Koa Moana 24 in the Chuuk Lagoon, July 5-9, 2024. During Koa Moana’s deployment throughout the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Marines and Sailors from I Marine Expeditionary Force work to strengthen alliances and partnerships with development of interoperable capabilities, combined operations, theater security cooperation, and capacity-building efforts. Exercises like Koa Moana administer 1st MLG to tackle complex challenges by fostering collaboration among bold thinkers and employing creative methods to optimize prepositioning, enhance sustainment and distribution networks, and bolster readiness in distributed environments such as Palau, the Federal States of Micronesia, and Papua New Guinea. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Sean Arnold)

U.S. Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force and members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force participate in an opening ceremony for exercise Resolute Dragon 24 at Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Camp Kengun, Kumamoto, Japan, July 28, 2024. Resolute Dragon 24 is an annual bilateral exercise in Japan that strengthens the command, control, and multi-domain maneuver capabilities of U.S. Marines in III Marine Expeditionary Force and Japan Self-Defense Force personnel, with a focus on controlling and defending key maritime terrain. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Manuel Alvarado) - U.S. Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force and members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force participate in an opening ceremony for exercise Resolute Dragon 24 at Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Camp Kengun, Kumamoto, Japan, July 28, 2024. Resolute Dragon 24 is an annual bilateral exercise in Japan that strengthens the command, control, and multi-domain maneuver capabilities of U.S. Marines in III Marine Expeditionary Force and Japan Self-Defense Force personnel, with a focus on controlling and defending key maritime terrain. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Manuel Alvarado)

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 311, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, taxis during a live ordnance training event at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar combat aircraft loading area, California, July 25, 2024. This was the first time VMFA-311 conducted live ordnance operations independently and a milestone for the squadron, which declared initial operational capability on July 31, 2024. Achieving initial operational capability means that VMFA-311 has the operational F-35C aircraft, trained pilots, maintainers, and support equipment to self-sustain its mission essential tasks. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez) - A U.S. Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 311, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, taxis during a live ordnance training event at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar combat aircraft loading area, California, July 25, 2024. This was the first time VMFA-311 conducted live ordnance operations independently and a milestone for the squadron, which declared initial operational capability on July 31, 2024. Achieving initial operational capability means that VMFA-311 has the operational F-35C aircraft, trained pilots, maintainers, and support equipment to self-sustain its mission essential tasks. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez)

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Davis, left, commanding officer of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314, awards the commanding officer coin for excellence to Lance Cpl. Nicholas Miller, an F-35C airframes mechanic, aboard the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), July 20, 2024, while underway in the Pacific Ocean. VMFA 314, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 9 aboard the Lincoln, is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations - Lt. Col. Jeffrey Davis, left, commanding officer of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314, awards the commanding officer coin for excellence to Lance Cpl. Nicholas Miller, an F-35C airframes mechanic, aboard the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), July 20, 2024, while underway in the Pacific Ocean. VMFA 314, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 9 aboard the Lincoln, is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Marine Corps courtesy photo)