Pacific Marines Stories

U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3 unload cargo from a U.S. Air Force C-130J. - U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3 unload cargo from a U.S. Air Force C-130J with 36th Airlift Squadron, 374th Airlift Wing after their arrival to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines, from Mindanao for Balikatan 2025, April 15, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between U.S. and Philippine armed forces designed to strengthen the alliance, showcase the capable combined force, and demonstrate the commitment to regional security and stability. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ezekieljay Correa)

MRF-D 25.3 surges forward for Balikatan

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines – Following the successful completion of Marine Exercise 2025 in Mindanao, the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) seamlessly repositioned it’s ground combat element (GCE) forces from Mindanao to Palawan, Philippines, as a show of allied and partner commitment to regional security and building maritime domain awareness in support of Exercise Balikatan 25.

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A Philippine Marine with 4th Marine Brigade conducts a humanitarian aid and disaster relief demonstration during KAMANDAG 8 at Camp Cape Bojeador, Burgos, Philippines, Oct. 20, 2024. KAMANDAG is an annual Philippine and U.S. Marine Corps-led exercise aimed at enhancing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ defense and humanitarian capabilities by providing valuable training in combined operations with foreign militaries in the advancement of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. This year marks the eighth iteration of this exercise and includes participants from the French Armed Forces, Royal Thai Marine Corps, and Indonesian Marine Corps; including continued participation from the Australian Defense Force, British Armed Forces, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, and Republic of Korea Marine Corps. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Shaina Jupiter) - A Philippine Marine with 4th Marine Brigade conducts a humanitarian aid and disaster relief demonstration during KAMANDAG 8 at Camp Cape Bojeador, Burgos, Philippines, Oct. 20, 2024. KAMANDAG is an annual Philippine and U.S. Marine Corps-led exercise aimed at enhancing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ defense and humanitarian capabilities by providing valuable training in combined operations with foreign militaries in the advancement of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. This year marks the eighth iteration of this exercise and includes participants from the French Armed Forces, Royal Thai Marine Corps, and Indonesian Marine Corps; including continued participation from the Australian Defense Force, British Armed Forces, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, and Republic of Korea Marine Corps. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Shaina Jupiter)

Enduring Partnerships: MRF-SEA Concludes KAMANDAG 8 with new experiences, knowledge

In a historic first, six nations converged on Filipino soil in the wake of a super typhoon to train, learn, and strengthen their partnership during KAMANDAG 8, reaffirming the exercise's importance to regional peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The two-week exercise, which concluded on Oct. 25, focused on enhancing defense and humanitarian capabilities through combined training events and expert exchanges. Participants engaged in a wide range of training activities, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear response; humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; unmanned aerial systems use; small boat operations; logistics; civil-military operations; coastal defense; and command and control processes.

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U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 3rd Platoon, Alpha Battery, 1st Long Range Fires Battalion, 1st Multi-Domain Task Force fire an M142 High Mobility Rocket System during Exercise Balikatan 24 at Rizal, Philippines, May 2, 2024. BK 24 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kyle Chan) - U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 3rd Platoon, Alpha Battery, 1st Long Range Fires Battalion, 1st Multi-Domain Task Force fire an M142 High Mobility Rocket System during Exercise Balikatan 24 at Rizal, Philippines, May 2, 2024. BK 24 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kyle Chan)

Philippine, US forces advancing territorial defense, rapid infiltration capabilities at Balikatan

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City, Philippines – Philippine and U.S. military forces participating in Balikatan 24 are conducting multiple synchronized, combined and joint all domain operations across more than 1,000 miles of Philippine territory over 16 days, involving more than a dozen units across the combined force. The scope of the operations demonstrates the increased complexity of this year’s exercise.

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Bougainville Disaster Response Joint-Agency workers load a MV-22B Osprey with humanitarian aid supplies during a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operation on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, Aug. 12, 2023. The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is working in coordination with the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance at the request of the government of Papua New Guinea, in consultation with the Autonomous Bougainville Government, after the volcanic eruption of Mount Bagana. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. J. R. Heins) - Bougainville Disaster Response Joint-Agency workers load a MV-22B Osprey with humanitarian aid supplies during a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operation on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, Aug. 12, 2023. The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is working in coordination with the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance at the request of the government of Papua New Guinea, in consultation with the Autonomous Bougainville Government, after the volcanic eruption of Mount Bagana. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. J. R. Heins)

The United States Provides Immediate Emergency Assistance to Support Communities Affected by Mount Bagana Volcanic Eruptions

At the request of the Government of Papua New Guinea, in consultation with the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), USAID is providing $200,000 to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to provide emergency shelter kits and other relief commodities, protection assistance for women and children, and logistical support to deliver essential relief items and other critical relief services based on assessed needs, as ongoing volcanic activity continues to restrict people’s access to food and water and families from returning home. To date, IOM has provided the ABG with four water tanks and 127 collapsible water containers—prepositioned through existing USAID support—to improve access to drinkable water, and deployed a public health specialist to conduct health assessments.

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