U.S. Marine Rotational Force and Singapore Armed Forces Launch Annual Valiant Mark Exercise
9 Dec 2024

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Marine Rotational Force-Southeast
Asia (MRF-SEA) commenced Exercise Valiant Mark 2024 in a ceremony today at Bedok Camp,
Singapore. The combined U.S.-Singapore force will continue Valiant Mark 24 training through
Dec. 13, focusing heavily on increasing interoperability between forces and building a sense of
partnership among personnel.

Valiant Mark 24 is an annual, bilateral exercise between the SAF and Marines from I Marine
Expeditionary Force conducted to cultivate a more cohesive and responsive partnership with our
Singaporean counterparts, reinforcing our collective ability to respond to crisis or contingency in
the Indo-Pacific as a combined and unified force. Each iteration of Valiant Mark directly
supports the strategic partnership between our two nations.

“The United States and Singapore enjoy a robust and enduring security partnership, and this
annual exercise, which dates back to the 1980s, is a testament to our shared commitment to
regional peace and stability and to a free and open Indo-Pacific that allows all of us to prosper,”
said Jesse Shaw, the spokesperson for U.S. Embassy Singapore.

Exercise Valiant Mark 2023 took place in October of last year aboard the U.S. Marine Corps’
Camp Pendleton in California. The major units involved were the 13th Marine Expeditionary
Unit (13th MEU) and the 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade (7 SIB). Since October 2024, MRFSEA
has been primarily comprised of personnel from the 13th MEU, meaning that many of the
same Marines are now training alongside Singapore forces again in this year’s iteration of the
exercise.

"MRF-SEA Marines and Sailors are primed and ready to execute Valiant Mark 24 in Singapore
to build on the strong foundation established with our SAF partners during last year’s exercise
aboard Camp Pendleton,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Stuart W. Glenn, the commanding officer
of MRF-SEA. “Our strategic partnership with Singapore is critical to upholding the rules-based
international order in the Indo-Pacific, and I'm confident that this Valiant Mark will further
enhance our combined capabilities and readiness.”

Exercise Valiant Mark has served as a command-post staff exercise, utilizing alternating training
locations in Singapore and the United States, since its inception in the mid-2000s. Building upon
U.S.-Singapore military engagements originating in the 1980s, this annual training event has
established a unique platform for U.S. Marines to engage with their Singaporean counterparts,
further solidifying the two nations' enduring security partnership.

“Over more than two decades, Exercise Valiant Mark has transformed into a significant exercise
that has advanced our combined operational capabilities, improved our interoperability, and
refined our skills across various tactical scenarios,” said SAF Senior Lieutenant Colonel
Enriquez Michael Zachary, commander of the 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade. “In addition, this
exercise will serve as a platform to forge friendships that will last far beyond this exercise.”

Valiant Mark 24 will bring together personnel from the SAF, including 7 SIB and its subordinate
unit, 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards (3 GDS), and U.S. forces from MRF-SEA, including
attached personnel from 1st Battalion, 5th Marines and 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines of the 1st
Marine Division.


Marine Rotational Force- Southeast Asia Communication Strategy & Operations

Marine Rotational Force - Southeast Asia

I Marine Expeditionary Force