TOWNSVILLE, QLD, AUS -- World leaders including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, visited with U.S. Marines and Sailors of the 1st Marine Division at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville, Australia, July 30, following the 33rd Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations.
“Exercise Talisman Sabre involves a number of countries, but it is fundamentally a bilateral exercise between Australia and the United States,” said Marles at the AUSMIN press conference, prior to visiting with 1st MARDIV. “We are reminded that as our defense force personnel have been side by side today, they have, in fact, been side by side with each other for more than a century, during which Australians and Americans have fought together in every conflict during that time. The alliance is built upon that. It's built upon the shared values which underpin that.”
Marles, Austin, and a collection of other allied and partnered military and government leaders followed the AUSMIN events with a trip to Lavarack Barracks in Townsville, where 1st MARDIV established a command center for Exercise Talisman Sabre 23. Talisman Sabre serves as the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the U.S., and an opportunity to bring Indo-Pacific teammates together to increase combined proficiencies and capabilities.
During the visit, the allied and partnered leaders participated in weapons displays, tactical updates, and spent time visiting the individual service members of the participating armed forces. U.S. Navy Admiral John C. Aquilino, the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and leader of the largest combatant command in the world, also visited with 1st MARDIV Marines and Sailors, and emphasized the importance of the U.S. posture in Australia and across the region.
Throughout Talisman Sabre 23, 1st MARDIV executed various command and control events and supervised maneuver exercises involving Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, one of the notable force posture initiatives between the U.S. and Australia. Another 1st MARDIV unit, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, serves as the battalion landing team for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which also performed amphibious maneuvers as part of the exercise.
Talisman Sabre and other combined exercises and events echo the messages of the 33rd AUSMIN conference. Shaping an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, enhanced defense cooperation, and a deeper commitment to regional and global security are all highlights of AUSMIN showcased throughout Talisman Sabre 23.