The Official United States Marine Corps Public Website News

Quantico Hosts Inaugural Presidential Fitness Test for Military Installations

Shaehmus Sawyer — Wed, 13 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va.—Over 100 Crossroads Elementary School and Quantico Middle High School students participated in MCB Quantico’s Presidential Fitness Test at Butler Stadium, April 12.

Balikatan 2026: Combined Civil-Military Team Strengthens Communities Across the Philippines

1st Lt. Brandon Daniels — Fri, 08 May 2026 15:14:00 GMT

Across five humanitarian and civic assistance sites in the Philippines, U.S. service members, Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel, local leaders, barangay rural health workers and community members worked together during Exercise Balikatan 2026 to strengthen community resilience through health care, education support, infrastructure projects and civil-military engagements.

Blount Island Enables Rapid MEU Ship-to-Shore Operations, Reinforcing SOUTHCOM Readiness

Dustin Senger — Thu, 07 May 2026 16:25:00 GMT

U.S. Marines with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) landed an up-armored wrecker May 5 at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida, demonstrating how the service rapidly moves equipment to support operations across the region.

Balikatan 2026: MRF‑D 26, joint, allied forces simulate maritime security on Balabac Island

1st Lt. Chase Fortier — Wed, 06 May 2026 13:51:00 GMT

BALABAC ISLAND, Philippines — U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 26, a now-certified Special‑Purpose Marine Air‑Ground Task Force assigned to rotational deployments in the South Pacific, participated in a live-fire assault to secure and hold Balabac Airfield in a demonstration of multi-domain interoperability alongside U.S. Soldiers from 25th Infantry Division, Philippine marines and Australian soldiers during Exercise Balikatan 2026, May 3.

Training Command Updates Reconnaissance Training

Capt. Colton Martin — Mon, 04 May 2026 16:07:50 GMT

Training Command launched Ground Reconnaissance Course as part of an updated Marine Reconnaissance training curriculum at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, April 27. GRC is now the initial course in the updated curriculum, which replaces Basic Reconnaissance Course with two new courses: GRC and Amphibious Reconnaissance Course. This change comes from analysis of reconnaissance training and support to Force Design initiatives, including Scout Platoons and multidomain operations.

Marine Corps Championships at MCB Quantico

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Claudia Nix, Marine Corps Training and Education Command — Mon, 04 May 2026 13:27:00 GMT

Weapons Training Battalion–Quantico and the Marine Corps Shooting Team hosted the Marine Corps Championships, the culminating event of the Marine Corps Marksmanship Competitions, from April 13–24 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

VMFA-251 pioneers new F-35 communications tactics at WTI

Lance Cpl. Fabian Ortiz — Fri, 01 May 2026 17:40:27 GMT

Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 251 advanced F-35 and other fixed-wing aircraft ground operations by integrating improved communication and digital interoperability capabilities. They demonstrated these advancements during Weapons and Tactics Instructors course 2-26 at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1), Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona, on April 13, 2026.

Balikatan 2026: U.S. Marines with MRF-D 26 conduct counter-landing live-fire exercise

1st Lt. Chase Fortier — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:54:00 GMT

U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin participated in a combined counter-landing live-fire exercise alongside service members from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Australia Defence Force and New Zealand Defence Force, April 27, 2026.

3rd MLR Joins Most Expansive Exercise Balikatan To Date

1st Lt. Duncan Stoner — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:03:00 GMT

3rd Marine Littoral Regiment is contributing more than 1,300 Hawaii-based Marines and Sailors for the 41st iteration of Exercise Balikatan, an expansive multilateral exercise conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military across the Philippine archipelago from April 20 to May 8.

Marine Corps Completes the Early Capability Release of OPF-Light

Addi Vander Velde, Office of Public Affairs & Communication — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:23:00 GMT

In a pivotal step for infantry modernization, the Marine Corps has successfully completed Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) and the early capability release of the Organic Precision Fires-Light (OPF-L) system.

2nd MLG Leaders Visit Blount Island to Examine Prepositioning, Logistics Integration

Dustin Senger — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:51:00 GMT

U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Maura Hennigan, commanding general of 2nd Marine Logistics Group, led dozens of senior logistics leaders in touring the hub of service-managed, forward-positioned equipment April 15 at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, Florida.

A medal, a memory, a Marine: The last flight of Maj. Everette McPherson

Lance Cpl. Claire Cheney — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:18:00 GMT

Nearly six decades after his aircraft went down over the South China Sea, Maj. Everett McPherson’s courage in the skies has finally been recognized. In a ceremony filled with solemn reflection and pride, the Marine Corps posthumously awarded McPherson the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the nation’s highest decorations for heroism in aerial flight.

Department of the Navy Creates Portfolio Aqcuisition Executive-Marine Corps to Accelerate Modernization

Cathleen Close — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:27:00 GMT

On Apr 10, the Marine Corps took a historic step in its modernization journey with the establishment of the Portfolio Acquisition Executive-Marine Corps (PAE-MC). This new organization replaces Program Executive Office Land Systems (PEO-LS) and incorporates programs from Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC), marking a significant transformation in how the Marine Corps develops and delivers capabilities to its warfighters.

Blount Island Command Team Supports First-Ever MPF Offload in Mindanao

Dustin Senger — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:14:00 GMT

A Marine Corps technical assistance and advisory team deployed in March from Jacksonville, Florida, in support of a first-of-its-kind maritime prepositioning force offload in the Indo-Pacific region.

Balikatan 26: U.S. Marines, Sailors Conduct Distributed Maritime Logistics in the Philippines

1st Lt. Benjamin Gillman — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 23:19:00 GMT

Logistics is the pacing function of expeditionary operations. Before a rifleman can eliminate a target, an infantry company can secure an objective, or the Marine Corps can train shoulder-to-shoulder with allies and partners, sustainment and equipment must be readily available at the right place and right time.

Come to Fight, Come to Win: II MEF First to Field New OSCAR Gen IV Training

2nd Lt. Sydney DiStefano — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:47:47 GMT

Leading the way for the Marine Corps, II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) puts new doctrine into action by becoming the first command to implement the modernized Operational Stress Control and Readiness (OSCAR) training, certifying 30 new Core Master Trainers from March 24-26, 2026.

Motor Transport Unveils Integration Lab, Driving Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Modernization

Helena Yared — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Previously, Marine Corps program offices integrating new systems onto the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle faced significant logistical challenges. The process involved requesting a vehicle from Program Executive Officer Land Systems’ (PEO LS) Program Manager Motor Transport (PM Motor-T), costly and complex vehicle shipments, and potential roadblocks to project deadlines because of vehicle availability constraints. This system created inefficiencies and drove up costs.

From Workshop to Waterway: Marine Innovation Redefines Naval Strike Capabilities

Marine Corps 1st Lt. Tyler Thomas — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:55:00 GMT

Marines assigned to the III Expeditionary Operations Training Group at Okinawa, Japan, and U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command operators executed the Marine Corps' first live-fire drone strike against a maritime surface vessel from a naval surface craft.

Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia continues Alliance with Philippines

Capt. MacKenzie Margroum — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:40:11 GMT

The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit concluded its rotation with Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia on March 31, after enhancing combined readiness with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and regional partners in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Thailand. Building on that success, a new command element from I Marine Expeditionary Force arrived to continue the mission with a focused effort in the Philippines, integrating Marine Corps forces in support of Task Force – Philippines and strengthening the U.S.-Philippines Alliance.

Closing the Sensor-to-Shooter Gap, One Dynamis Serial at a Time

Courtesy Story — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:27:00 GMT

In an increasingly complex global landscape, the speed of decision-making on the battlefield is not just an advantage, it is the ultimate arbiter of victory.