Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
CAMP COURTNEY, Okinawa, Japan –
As the calendar turns to 2025, the Marines, Sailors, and joint force enablers of III Marine Expeditionary Force are poised to build on the successes of 2024, a year marked by significant milestones and advancements in regional security. Through a robust series of exercises, training events, and community engagements, III MEF deepened relationships with regional partners and allies, reinforcing shared values of mutual respect, trust, and cooperation.
“Our successes this year are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our Marines, Sailors, and regional partners,” said Lt. Gen. Roger B. Turner, the III MEF commanding general. “As we look to 2025, I’m confident that we’ll continue to build on this momentum. We remain steadfast in our resolve to defend our interests, promote stability, and ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Throughout the year, the 3d and 12th Marine Littoral Regiments continued to increase their capabilities and lethality. 3d MLR, located on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, received its first tranche of Navy/Marine Corps Ship Interdiction Systems (NMESIS) launchers and Marine Air Defense Integrated Systems (MADIS). The addition of the NMESIS to 3d MLR’s arsenal supports the unit’s ability to attack enemy maritime targets and conduct expeditionary strike missions, while the MADIS provides 3d MLR enhanced air and missile defense capability. Concurrently, Combat Logistics Battalion 12 was redesignated as the 12th Littoral Logistics Battalion, falling under the 12th MLR. The newly redesignated 12th LLB provides ground supply, medical support, general engineering, explosive ordnance disposal, and multi-modal transportation to support distributed forces in contested maritime spaces. 12th Littoral Anti-Air Battalion also activated in 2024 adding to 12th MLR’s ability to support sea control and sea denial operations within actively contested maritime spaces.
In the Philippines, 3d MLR participated in the 39th iteration of Exercise Balikatan 24, marking the unit’s 3rd consecutive year of participation in the largest annual bilateral training exercise between the U.S. military and Armed Forces of the Philippines since 3d MLR’s redesignation from 3d Marines in 2022. Following the conclusion of Balikatan, 3d MLR remained in the Philippines to conduct the first iteration of Archipelagic Coastal Defense Continuum and Marine Aviation Support Activity 24. The 75-day deployment marked 3d MLR’s longest deployment to the Philippines since redesignation.
During the amphibious-focused exercise Iron Fist, the 31st MEU, PHIBRON-11, the JGSDF ARDB’s 2nd Amphibious Rapid Deployment Regiment and the JMSDF Commander Landing Ship Division 1 conducted combined planning to improve preparedness through real-world amphibious training. The three-week exercise focused on advanced marksmanship, amphibious reconnaissance, fire and maneuver assaults, bi-lateral logistics and medical support, and fire support operations; such as mortars, artillery and close-air support. Ultimately, Iron Fist honed the rapid, global expeditionary response capabilities expected of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps and exemplified the spirit of trust and cooperation between the U.S. Marine Corps and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
Throughout the Indo-Pacific region, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) served as a crisis response force, participating in operations in Japan, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, and across the region’s waters. F-35B Lightning II fighter jets provided simulated close air support during multinational exercises like SSang Yong, while MV-22B Ospreys inserted bilateral forces during Exercise Iron Fist 24. Meanwhile, ground forces from the MEU’s Maritime Raid Force and Battalion Landing Team conducted bilateral training in various environments, including jungles, beaches, waterways, and mountains in Japan and the Republic of Korea. The Combat Logistics Battalion 31, the only permanently assigned logistics battalion to an MEU worldwide, played a crucial role in supporting and sustaining the entire force. The unit’s logistics capabilities were on full display during Exercise Iron Fist 24, where military leaders from the region, as well as European partners and allies, observed beach operations following an amphibious assault training.
Prepared to respond to crises of a larger scale, the 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) achieved significant milestones through its campaign of learning and experimentation with Expeditionary Strike Group SEVEN as Task Force 76/3. The brigade synchronized efforts with the integrated naval headquarters staff to ensure access to key maritime terrain and reinforce Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet’s rapid response capabilities. 3d MEB serves as III MEF’s Alert Contingency Marine Air-Ground Task Force, a scalable humanitarian assistance-disaster relief headquarters ready to respond within hours to emerging crises.
As a capstone exercise in Japan, Resolute Dragon 24, which spanned from Iwakuni to Yonaguni, served as the operational debut of the 12th MLR and showcased the deployment of one of III MEF’s TPS-80 radar systems to Yonaguni. Flown to Yonaguni by a Japan Air Self-Defense Force C-2 aircraft, the TPS-80 radar system provided advanced sensing and targeting capability to enhance situational awareness for the joint force, further enabling the monitoring and acquisition of targets throughout the region. At Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, home to Marine Air Group 12 and the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s Fleet Air Wing 31, U.S. and Japanese V-22 Osprey aircraft conducted bilateral flight operations, demonstrating both the capabilities of the platform and the ability of the JGSDF and USMC to fly coordinated missions in support of ground forces.
In the Republic of Korea, more than 3,000 U.S. Marines from across III MEF, and 1st Marine Division, I MEF, completed exercises Freedom Shield 24 and Warrior Shield 24, demonstrating the U.S and ROK Marine Corps’ ability to integrate and operate in support of the alliance. During Freedom Shield 24, the Combined Marine Component Command rehearsed their combined, force wide command-and-control capabilities in response to a simulated crisis. While in the Republic of Korea, U.S. Marines and Sailors with the 9th Engineer Support Battalion completed the construction of Choctaw Road at Rodriguez Live-Fire Complex, facilitating the safe and efficient transport of tactical military vehicles and ensuring direct access to live-fire ranges. This project was the result of coordinated efforts across multiple units, including ROK Marines and U.S. Soldiers from the 11th Engineer Battalion.
Continuing to build on the U.S.-ROK partnership, Exercise Ssang Yong saw III MEF, 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and 31st MEU forces operating alongside ROK Navy and Marine Corps units, demonstrating amphibious landing capabilities and highlighting the strength of the U.S.-ROK Alliance. The exercise involved division-level Marine Corps landing forces, ROK Navy large transport ships, and over 40 aircraft, including U.S. F-35B Lightning II fighter jets and ROK amphibious mobile helicopters.
Back in Japan, III MEF also participated in Exercise Keen Sword 25, a biennial exercise that fosters realistic training and allows leaders to validate and test command relationships and operational control of forces. The exercise included both field training and command post elements, with forces from 3d MEB establishing a bilateral coordination center alongside Western Army partners in Kumamoto. This critical bilateral node showcased the ability to for U.S. and Japanese forces to coordinate operations within a shared battlespace, and unified against a common threat.
In addition to these exercises, III MEF contributed to the largest ever iteration of Exercise Yama Sakura 87, a trilateral exercise involving the U.S. Army, Australian Defence Force, and Japan Ground Self Defense Force. The exercise spanned three nations, six locations, and over 7,000 service members, demonstrating the value of the Marine Corps’ permanent presence in Japan and the seamless integration of U.S. and Japanese forces.
Beyond these major exercises, III MEF engaged in various community-based initiatives, including training students at the Thailand Mine Action Center to develop an explosive ordnance disposal capacity. This partnership aligns with the U.S. Department of Defense’s Humanitarian Mine Action Program, which assists partnered nations affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war. 5th Air/Naval Gunfire Liaison Company integrated with the JGSDF Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, making history in the establishing of the JGSDF’s first Joint Terminal Attack Controller Instructor and Evaluator. Throughout the year, 5th ANGLICO Marines trained several Joint Tactical Air Controllers, increasing the ARDB’s capabilities and effectiveness.
Twice during the year, III MEF flew KC-130Js from Okinawa to the Philippines to contribute to disaster relief operations following natural disasters in Mindanao and Luzon. III MEF forces transported tens of thousands of food packs alongside other critical aid items in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development. In Japan, Marines and sailors conducted humanitarian aid/disaster response training in Ishigaki City, building relationships in the Sakishima Islands and demonstrating capabilities to respond rapidly to natural disasters.
III MEF also tested new capabilities in 2024, with the introduction of the Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel (ALPV) and Stern Landing Vessel. Marines across the MEF conducted trial operations with the ALPV in open water, simulating covert logistical resupply, and demonstrated the ability to resupply a dispersed lethal fighting force in contested maritime terrain. III MEF also participated in various resilient joint kill web experimentation events in support of the joint force, through the use of the Joint Fires Network and Maven Smart System capabilities.
As III MEF looks to 2025, the force will continue to build on the successes of previous years, with a focus on increasing interoperability with partners and allies across the Indo-Pacific. On the horizon are continued training opportunities in Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines and the Kingdom of Thailand. During Exercise Pacific Sentry, 3d Marine Division will undergo certification as a Joint Task Force, providing Indo-Pacific Command with another certified JTF for employment in support of regional security. 12th MLR will add their third and final subordinate element, 12th Littoral Combat Team, to enhance precision, lethality, and littoral maneuverability. 3d MLR will undergo a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation (MCCRE) prior to the unit’s deployment to the Philippines in support of Exercises Balikatan 25 and Kamandag 9. A series of full-scale rapid mobilization events will ensure that forces from III MEF are ready to swiftly deploy from locations in Okinawa to distributed locations across the region in support of sea denial operations and reinforcing regional partners and allies. With its commitment to regional stability and security, III MEF remains a vital component of the U.S. military’s presence in the Indo-Pacific, poised to address the challenges of a rapidly changing security environment.
Please direct questions to IIIMEFMedia@usmc.mil.
MIL Security OSI –
