Stories

U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3, and Australian Army soldiers with 5th/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, fire their weapons during a Maritime Key Terrain Security Operations event, in support of Exercise Balikatan 25 near Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines May 5, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the 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 Cpl. Keegan Jones) - U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3, and Australian Army soldiers with 5th/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, fire their weapons during a Maritime Key Terrain Security Operations event, in support of Exercise Balikatan 25 near Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines May 5, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the 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 Cpl. Keegan Jones)

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)

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ricardo Ramirez, a radio operator assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force, operates a multi-mission terminal (MMT) during a command post exercise on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, April 23, 2025. - U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ricardo Ramirez, a radio operator assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force, operates a multi-mission terminal (MMT) during a command post exercise on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, April 23, 2025. The MMT is a rapidly deployable, software-defined system that provides broadband connectivity across multiple satellite networks, enabling secure communications in support of expeditionary operations. The CPX allowed the 15th MEU to develop best practices for command and control of forces from a shore-based location to test systems, evaluate processes, develop techniques, and validate standard operating procedures. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Patrick Katz)

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Adam Clyne, an assistant patrol leader with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3, and a Philippine Marine with 3rd Marine Brigade, Philippine Marine Corps, pose for a photo before a counter-landing live-fire rehearsal in support of Exercise Balikatan 25 at Rizal, Palawan, Philippines, April 27, 2025. - U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Adam Clyne, an assistant patrol leader with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3, and a Philippine Marine with 3rd Marine Brigade, Philippine Marine Corps, pose for a photo before a counter-landing live-fire rehearsal in support of Exercise Balikatan 25 at Rizal, Palawan, Philippines, April 27, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the 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. Clyne is a native of Minnesota. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Keegan Jones)

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Andrew Williamson, right, the executive officer of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3, salutes with Group Captain Melissa Neilson, the commander of Headquarters Northern Command, during the 83rd anniversary ceremony of the Battle of the Coral Sea in Darwin, Australia, May 6, 2025. - U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Andrew Williamson, right, the executive officer of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3, salutes with Group Captain Melissa Neilson, the commander of Headquarters Northern Command, during the 83rd anniversary ceremony of the Battle of the Coral Sea in Darwin, Australia, May 6, 2025. The ceremony commemorated U.S. and Australian service members who lost their lives in the Battle of the Coral Sea, which took place from May 4-8, 1942, during WWII. Williamson is a native of New York, and Neilson is a native of Tasmania. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Angelina Sara)

Philippine and U.S. government and military representatives furl the Balikatan flag during the closing ceremony to conclude Exercise Balikatan 25 at Camp Aguinaldo, Manila, Philippines, May 9, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the 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 Lance Cpl. Erica S. Padgett) - Philippine and U.S. government and military representatives furl the Balikatan flag during the closing ceremony to conclude Exercise Balikatan 25 at Camp Aguinaldo, Manila, Philippines, May 9, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the 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 Lance Cpl. Erica S. Padgett)

U.S. Marines with Medium-Range Missile Battery, 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division load a Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System onto a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to 39th Airlift Squadron during Exercise Balikatan 25 at Lal-lo, Philippines, April 26, 2025. - U.S. Marines with Medium-Range Missile Battery, 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division load a Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System onto a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to 39th Airlift Squadron during Exercise Balikatan 25 at Lal-lo, Philippines, April 26, 2025. This marks the inaugural deployment of the newly fielded Marine Corps weapon system to the Philippines and serves as a major milestone for the continuously developing U.S.-Philippines Alliance. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force, and demonstrate our commitment to regional security and stability. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Trent Randolph)

U.S. Marines and aircraft with Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, conduct a formation flight as part of Project Legacy off the coast of San Diego, March 4, 2025. The Project Legacy flight was a unique opportunity for all aircraft platforms across MAG-11 to fly as one team, practice tight formations, and take part in the documentation of a historical flight. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez) - U.S. Marines and aircraft with Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, conduct a formation flight as part of Project Legacy off the coast of San Diego, March 4, 2025. The Project Legacy flight was a unique opportunity for all aircraft platforms across MAG-11 to fly as one team, practice tight formations, and take part in the documentation of a historical flight. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez)

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)

U.S. Marines with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3 and Armed Forces of the Philippines service members disembark a Philippine Naval vessel during an amphibious assault demonstration as part of Marine Exercise 2025 near Cotabato City, Mindanao, Philippines, April 9, 2025. - U.S. Marines with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3 and Armed Forces of the Philippines service members disembark a Philippine Naval vessel during an amphibious assault demonstration as part of Marine Exercise 2025 near Cotabato City, Mindanao, Philippines, April 9, 2025. MAREX 2025 is a bilateral exercise between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Philippine Marine Corps designed to further enhance relationships, interoperability, and combined arms capabilities in a realistic training environment. MRF-D 25.3 is part of an annual six-month rotational deployment to enhance interoperability with the Australian Defence Force and Allies and partners and provide a forward-postured crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ezekieljay Correa)