"We landed under the cover of night, stepping into the exact nightmare we had just watched on television,” said U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Major Hector Rivera, reflecting on his unit’s arrival at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, during his time as the senior enlisted leader of 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. “But piercing through that darkness, one sight cut straight to the bone: a young Afghan boy standing amidst the panic, holding a steadfast salute. He refused to lower his hand until all 300 Marines had stepped off our aircraft and marched into the darkness to hold the line.”
continue reading
U.S. Marines with Air Command and Control Detachment, Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia, I Marine Expeditionary Force, tested the mobility of the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar during training in the Philippines, Aug. 27, 2026, evaluating how the capability can improve command and control and support fires integration in the archipelagic environment.
continue reading
In a significant leap forward for aerial warfare, the U.S. Marine Corps has successfully integrated its iconic H-1 helicopter fleet with advanced, low-cost drone technology, demonstrating a new and lethal capability for the modern battlefield. During a recent exercise, Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 169, Marine Air Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1stMarine Division, showcased the ability of the UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters to act as airborne motherships, extending the reach and lethality of first-person view drones to strike targets from unprecedented distances.“The primary objective was to test the feasibility of a non-kinetic drop and deployment of
continue reading
Within hours of the start of Exercise Balikatan 2026, U.S. and Philippine forces shifted from training to real-world crisis response. On April 20 near Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan, Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. forces participating in Exercise Balikatan 2026 responded to a vehicular accident involving Filipino civilians, rapidly coordinating rescue and medical evacuation efforts in a complex environment.
continue reading
Across five humanitarian and civic assistance sites in the Philippines, U.S. service members, Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel, local leaders, barangay rural health workers and community members worked together during Exercise Balikatan 2026 to strengthen community resilience through health care, education support, infrastructure projects and civil-military engagements.
continue reading