An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Marines

III MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
III MEF Logo
FORWARD. FAITHFUL. FOCUSED.

Mission

III MEF provides the United States with a forward-deployed force in readiness in the Pacific Theater, as a globally responsive, expeditionary, and fully scalable Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF), capable of generating, deploying, and employing forces for crisis response, forward presence, major combat operations, and campaigns.

 

  • Jungle Crab 22

    U.S. Marine Corps explosive ordnance technicians with 3rd EOD Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, operate and survive in a jungle environment during Jungle Crab 22 at Jungle Warfare Training Center, Okinawa, Japan, June 30, 2022. During Jungle Crab 22 EOD Marines prepared to support Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations by practicing survival methods in areas where logistical support may not be available. 3rd MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward deployed combat unit that serves as III Marine Expeditionary Force’s comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Moises Rodriguez)

    MORE

  • 3d Reconnaissance Parachute Operations

    U.S. Marines with 3d Reconnaissance Battalion execute Military Free Fall and Low-Level Static Line parachute operations over Ie Shima, Okinawa, Japan, May 16-18, 2023. The training sustains operational readiness while ensuring Marines are prepared to rapidly insert into austere environments through multiple methods. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Israel Sheber)

    MORE
  • U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Bierman, center right, commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force, shakes hands with Lt. Gen. Yamane Toshikazu, center, commanding general of Western Army, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.

    III MEF welcomes JGSDF Western Army Commanding General

    U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Bierman, center right, commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force, shakes hands with Lt. Gen. Yamane Toshikazu, center, commanding general of Western Army, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, during a III MEF facilities tour on Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan, May 17, 2023. During the inaugural tour, Toshikazu spoke to key III MEF leadership and discussed topics pertaining to strengthening the partnership between III MEF and JGSDF. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Megan Roses)

    MORE

  • Korea Flying Training 2023

    U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242, VMFA-115, U.S. Air Force 8th Fighter Wing, USAF 25th Fighter Squadron, and various Republic of Korea Air Force units participate in Fiscal Year 2023 Korea Flying Training at Gwanju Air Base, ROK, April 27, 2023. KFT 23 is a combined training event focused on tactical execution of combat missions to maintain military readiness and is part of the ROK-U.S. alliance’s routine, annual training program. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Ryan Ulibarri)

    MORE
  • Balikatan 23 is the 38th iteration of the annual bilateral exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military. The exercise includes three weeks of training focused on amphibious operations, command and control, humanitarian assistance, urban operations and counterterrorism skills throughout northern and western Luzon. Coastal defense training figures prominently in the Balikatan 23 training schedule. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jennifer Andrade)

    Balikatan 23 | 3d LCT Marines, PMC members conduct bilateral weapons familiarization

    U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class Nathaniel Jackson, a mortarman with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, demonstrates how to adjust the alignment of an M252 81 mm mortar system to a member of the Philippine Marine Corps during bilateral weapons familiarization during Balikatan 23 in Santa Juliana, Philippines, April 10, 2023.

    MORE

  • US, Japan celebrate 78th Reunion of Honor on Iwo To

    U.S. and Japanese service members, veterans, and civilian leaders take part in the 78th Reunion of Honor ceremony, Iwo To, Japan, March 25, 2023. The Reunion of Honor ceremony is held annually to bring together leaders from the U.S. and Japan, veterans, distinguished guests, and their family members to pay tribute to service members lost during the Battle of Iwo Jima, and is a testament to the ironclad U.S.-Japan alliance which has blossomed over the past 78 years. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Moises Rodriguez and Cpl. Madison Santamaria)

    MORE

  • 4th Marines: Lethal, Capable, and Adaptive

    U.S. Marine Corps Col. Eric Clark, commanding officer of 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division speaks about Marines being lethal and adaptive in an era of competition from Okinawa, Japan, Mar. 15, 2023. 4th Marines is continuously focused on leveraging the integrated capabilities of joint and allied partners to strengthen all-domain awareness, maneuver, and fires across a distributed maritime environment. (U.S. Marine Corps video edited by Cpl. Kelly A. Wood)

    MORE
  • U.S. Marines conduct a pass and review during a relief and appointment ceremony on Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, March 7, 2023. Sgt. Maj. Eric D. Cook relinquished his duties as sergeant major of III Marine Expeditionary Force, and sergeant major of Marine Forces Japan to Sgt. Maj. Joy M. Kitashima. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Diana Jimenez)

    III MEF, MARFORJ Relief and Appointment

    U.S. Marines conduct a pass and review during a relief and appointment ceremony on Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, March 7, 2023. Sgt. Maj. Eric D. Cook relinquished his duties as sergeant major of III Marine Expeditionary Force, and sergeant major of Marine Forces Japan to Sgt. Maj. Joy M. Kitashima. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Diana Jimenez)

    MORE
  • U.S. Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force embark the high-speed transport vessel USNS Guam (T-HST 1) at Naha Military Port, Okinawa, Japan, March 3, 2023. The USNS Guam will transport Marines to the Republic of Korea for exercise Freedom Shield 23. Freedom Shield is a defense-oriented exercise designed to strengthen the ROK-U.S. Alliance, enhance our combined defense posture, and strengthen security and stability on the Korean peninsula. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Tyler Andrews)

    Freedom Shield 23: III MEF Embarkation on USNS Guam

    U.S. Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force embark the high-speed transport vessel USNS Guam (T-HST 1) at Naha Military Port, Okinawa, Japan, March 3, 2023. The USNS Guam will transport Marines to the Republic of Korea for exercise Freedom Shield 23. Freedom Shield is a defense-oriented exercise designed to strengthen the ROK-U.S. Alliance, enhance our combined defense posture, and strengthen security and stability on the Korean peninsula. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Tyler Andrews)

    MORE

  • III MSB | Bushido Strike 23

    U.S. Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force Support Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, participate in various training events and live-fire ranges during exercise Bushido Strike 23 on U.S. Army Garrison Casey, Gyeonggi, South Korea, Feb. 16, 2023. III MSB concluded Bushido Strike 23, which comprises training events including a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation in South Korea to validate its mission essential tasks of providing combat service support, security and administrative services to III Marine Expeditionary Force. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Cesar Ronaldo Alarcon)

    MORE

 

III MEF Unit News

  • 2023 Suicide Prevention Stakeholder’s Wellness Symposium 01
  • Emergency Communications 02
  • WLEF: Affecting cultural change 03
  • Emergency Communications Message 04
  • MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE 2023 05