The fifteenth Marine Expeditionary Unit and Marine Rotational Drive – Southeast Asia started train KAMANDAG 8 with the Philippines Marine Corps Wednesday after wrapping up catastrophe aid efforts almost every week in the past.
MRF-SEA, 1st Marine Plane Wing (MAW); III Marine Expeditionary Drive (MEF); and the fifteenth MEU launched into amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) concluded six days of overseas catastrophe aid efforts within the Philippines, supporting the U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement’s humanitarian response to Storm Krathon on the request of the Philippine authorities, on Oct. 10, in accordance with a Tuesday Marine Corps launch.
The Marines delivered almost 96,000 kilos of overseas catastrophe aid provides to Batan Island, one of many places most impacted by Krathon, in accordance with the aid.
MRF-SEA first arrived within the Philippines in late September to take part in upcoming coaching workouts with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). MRF-SEA operated out of Fort Bonifacio, Philippines, and coordinated with the U.S. Division of State, USAID, the AFP, and different U.S. Marine Corps models to plan help for the aid effort. Two groups of Marines and Sailors from MRF-SEA built-in with USAID and AFP personnel in Manila and Laoag to plan and put together for the arrival of KC-130J Tremendous Hercules plane from 1st MAW in Okinawa, Japan, and personnel from third Marine Logistics Group, in accordance with the discharge.
“Earlier than Marine Corps plane ever touched down within the Philippines, Marines and Sailors with MRF-SEA had been built-in with our companions within the U.S. and Philippine governments, on web site at Villamor Air Base and Laoag Worldwide Airport, with the manpower and heavy tools wanted to package deal and transfer support materials,” stated Col. Stuart Glenn, commanding officer, MRF-SEA within the launch. “Ahead-deployed Marine Corps forces enable us to rapidly reply to humanitarian missions as a result of we’re already within the area. I’m extraordinarily proud that our crew was capable of set the mandatory situations to rapidly present aid to the Philippine individuals.”
The KC-130s arrived on Oct. 5 loaded with provides at Villamor Air Base close to Manila earlier than flying to Laoag Worldwide Airport in northern Luzon for staging and preparation. The KC-130 crews carried out 26.2 hours of flight operations and efficiently transported all support supplies to Laoag, in accordance with the discharge.
The provides at Laoag had been then transported to Batan with the arrival.
MV-22B Ospreys of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 165 (Bolstered), launched into Boxer, arrived at Laoag and commenced operations on Oct. 8 with mixed groups from the fifteenth MEU, MRF-SEA and Philippine Marines spending the following three days loading Ospreys with catastrophe aid provides for the ultimate leg of the motion to Basco Airport on Batan Island.
Pilots and aircrews from VMM-165 (Rein.) carried out greater than 55 flights and efficiently delivered the ultimate catastrophe aid materials on Oct. 10, in accordance with the discharge.
“The first focus of our mission helps the individuals of the Philippines recuperate as rapidly and safely as doable,” stated Col. Sean Dynan, commanding officer, fifteenth MEU within the launch. “Humanitarian help in an expeditionary atmosphere is what we prepare to do, and it is likely one of the causes we’re forward-deployed as an amphibious drive.”
MRF-SEA, fifteenth MEU and the Philippines Marine Corps (PMC) started KAMANDAG 8, a bilateral train scheduled from Tuesday till Oct. 25, in accordance with a Tuesday launch.
“Carried out beneath the annual Mutual Protection Board and Safety Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) actions for 2024, the train goals to strengthen the interoperability of taking part nations whereas selling regional safety and cooperation throughout the Indo-Pacific area,” reads the discharge.
This yr’s train is designed to reinforce mixed operational proficiency in key areas similar to fight drugs, coastal protection, humanitarian help and catastrophe aid, engineering, and chemical, organic, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) response and can function members from a number of allied and accomplice nations, in accordance with the discharge.
Some 2,300 personnel will participate within the drills with greater than 1,000 Marines and Sailors from MRF-SEA and the fifteenth MEU coaching alongside over 1,100 personnel from the PMC and Philippine Nationwide Police. Service members from the Japanese Floor Self-Protection Drive, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, British Armed Forces, Australian Protection Drive and French Armed Forces can even take part whereas members of the Royal Thai Marine Corps and Indonesian Marine Corps are in-country to watch the train, in accordance with the discharge.
JGSDF personnel embody these from the Amphibious Fast Deployment Brigade (ARDB), Central NBC (Nuclear, Organic, Chemical) Weapons Unit and the Medical Countermeasure Unit, a Oct. 7 Japan Floor Self Protection Drive (JGSDF) launch. The JGSDF within the train will perform professional exchanges on island coastal protection and views on joint anti-ship fight.
Coaching will happen throughout the Philippines in Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, the Nationwide Capital Area, Cavite and Palawan.
“KAMANDAG serves as a testomony to the enduring and ironclad alliance our nations share. We are going to improve our interoperability, strengthen our collective protection, and construct private friendships,” stated Col. Stuart Glenn, commanding officer, MRF-SEA within the Marine Corps launch. “Via our efforts, we reaffirm our mutual dedication to regional safety as we face the ever-evolving safety atmosphere that threatens a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
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