U.S. Marines and Sailors from I Marine Expeditionary Force have arrived in the Philippines for the third annual rotational deployment of Marine Rotational Force - Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA). Their six-month mission will kick off with joint training exercises, including Sama Sama 2024 and KAMANDAG 8, from 7 to 24 October 2024.

The MRF-SEA deployment will extend through March 2025 and feature six additional exercises and security cooperation engagements across Southeast Asia, involving training with the Philippine Marine Corps, Malaysian Army, Indonesian Marine Corps, Royal Brunei Land Forces, Singapore Armed Forces, and Royal Thai Armed Forces.

This annual rotational deployment of Marines is designed to build upon cooperative relationships with important regional Allies and partners, increasing effective interoperability, maintaining U.S. Marine Corps forces in the region, and contributing to freedom within the Indo-Pacific.

MRF-SEA is a flexible task force that varies in size, capability, and composition, to accomplish different types of missions. Much like the Unit Deployment Program or Marine Expeditionary Unit deployments that leverage purpose-built units, MRF-SEA maintains a forward presence and enhances Marine Corps crisis and contingency response capabilities. MRF-SEA is uniquely organized to support security cooperation and advance mutual security objectives shared with Southeast Asian Allies and partners.

"Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia is deploying to the Indo-Pacific region to train and operate alongside our Allies and partners,” said Col. Stuart W. Glenn, commanding officer, MRF-SEA.

“The Marine Corps is committed to preserving the freedom of the region and its people. We train together to strengthen our relationships and collective capabilities, and the intent of MRF-SEA is to cultivate and reinforce the common values and capabilities between our partners and to preserve a rules-based international order,” he added.

Planned exercises during this deployment will provide opportunities to enhance partnered interoperability through expert-led training exchanges including ground and aircraft fires integration; combat medical care; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Neurological response; logistics support in contested environments; small boat operations; amphibious operations planning; Unmanned Aerial Surveillance employment; and other topics. Additionally, MRF-SEA will conduct realistic training events to include live fire events, military operations in urban terrain, amphibious operations, hand-to-hand combat, and numerous others alongside allied and partner forces.

MRF-SEA’s presence enables a consistent and annual Marine Corps presence in the Indo-Pacific as Marine Rotational Force-Darwin returns to the United States from Australia. This consistent Marine Corps presence provides a persistent, tailorable force capable of command and control, operational planning, and theater security cooperation activities whenever needed.

The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit command element will lead MRF-SEA throughout this six-month rotation and vary the force’s size and composition to effectively execute each of the eight planned exercises. Elements from 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group and 1st Marine Division will composite with the rotational force to achieve each exercise’s purpose and maintain U.S. Marine forces in Southeast Asia.