Pacific Marines Stories

As dusk descends, Marines and civilians from the Program Manager for Ground-Based Air Defense assemble around Program Executive Officer Land System’s cutting-edge Medium Range Intercept Capability system. Serving as the Corps’ first medium range missile capability since the HAWK system, this state-of-the-art capability proved its mettle by successfully hitting targets at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, on December 16, 2021. - As dusk descends, Marines and civilians from the Program Manager for Ground-Based Air Defense assemble around Program Executive Officer Land System’s cutting-edge Medium Range Intercept Capability system. Serving as the Corps’ first medium range missile capability since the HAWK system, this state-of-the-art capability proved its mettle by successfully hitting targets at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, on December 16, 2021.

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Freddy Peubla, a machine gunner with 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, fires a M240B machine gun during a littoral live fire exercise for Marine Aviation Support Activity at Punta Baja, Palawan, Philippines, July 15, 2023. MASA 23 is a bilateral exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. Marine Corps, aimed at enhancing interoperability and coordination in support of U.S.-Philippine mutual defense. - U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Freddy Peubla, a machine gunner with 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, fires a M240B machine gun during a littoral live fire exercise for Marine Aviation Support Activity at Punta Baja, Palawan, Philippines, July 15, 2023. MASA 23 is a bilateral exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. Marine Corps, aimed at enhancing interoperability and coordination in support of U.S.-Philippine mutual defense.

U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class Alexiander Sigrah, a Kosrae native and an automotive maintenance technician with Task Force Koa Moana 23, is promoted to the rank of Private First Class in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia, July 4, 2023. “I am excited to be able to go back home and fix a lot of stuff that I’ve always wanted to be involved in helping with,” said Sigrah. Task Force Koa Moana deployed to the Indo-Pacific to strengthen relationships with Pacific Island partners through bilateral and multilateral security cooperation and community engagements. - U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class Alexiander Sigrah, a Kosrae native and an automotive maintenance technician with Task Force Koa Moana 23, is promoted to the rank of Private First Class in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia, July 4, 2023. “I am excited to be able to go back home and fix a lot of stuff that I’ve always wanted to be involved in helping with,” said Sigrah. Task Force Koa Moana deployed to the Indo-Pacific to strengthen relationships with Pacific Island partners through bilateral and multilateral security cooperation and community engagements.

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Joseph McDonnell, a crew chief with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 462, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, lowers a package to the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Maine (SSBN 741) during a vertical replenishment (VERTREP) in the Philippine Sea, May 9, 2023. Vertical replenishments enable naval vessels to quickly receive critical resources without disrupting maritime security operations while underway. III MEF is postured to enable naval expeditionary operations within the first island chain as part of a Stand-in-Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Emily Weiss) - U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Joseph McDonnell, a crew chief with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 462, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, lowers a package to the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Maine (SSBN 741) during a vertical replenishment (VERTREP) in the Philippine Sea, May 9, 2023. Vertical replenishments enable naval vessels to quickly receive critical resources without disrupting maritime security operations while underway. III MEF is postured to enable naval expeditionary operations within the first island chain as part of a Stand-in-Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Emily Weiss)