Official websites use .mil
Secure .mil websites use HTTPS
III MEF is the nucleus of a joint and coalition Stand-In Force within the First Island Chain. In competition, III MEF assures and expands access for the joint force across the Indo-Pacific. In crisis, it provides in-place response forces to secure allies and partners while deterring adversary aggression. In conflict, III MEF fights from advanced naval bases as part of a naval expeditionary force and enables Joint Force objectives in the Indo-Pacific.
LEARN MORE
U.S. Marine Corps UH-Y1 Venom helicopter assigned to VMM 265, prepares to take off during flight operations aboard USS San Diego, June 6, 2025.
A U.S. Navy Sailor aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America guides a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B lightning II in the Philippine Sea, May 31, 2025.
U.S. Marines with 3d Marine Littoral Regiment load the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System into a KC-130J Super Hercules May 25, 2025.
Marine with MASS-2 changes an M240B machine gun barrel in the Central Training Area, Okinawa, Japan, May 13, 2025.
Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 lands at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, May 10, 2025
U.S Marines conduct on and off drills out of a LAV while conducting a TRAP simulation as a part of MEU Exercise at Camp Hansen, Japan, May 3, 2025.
OKINAWA, Japan- U.S. Space Force Maj. Ben Pearce and Capt. Hannah Garcia-Park, both with Mission Delta-11 (Space Ranges, Aggressors, Tactics and Exercises), conducted tactical level space operations for the first time in history June 9, 2025, at III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF), Okinawa, Japan. The Guardians injected critical tactical subject matter expertise directly supporting III MEF's mission, while also delivering realistic and challenging space aggressor training enhancing the lethality and combat power of the entire joint force.
continue reading
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Hawaii – Gunnery Sergeant Ryan M. Schwartz, company gunnery sergeant of Communications company, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, was awarded the United States Marine Corps Sergeant Harry D. Myers Award for his significant contribution to the combat readiness of 3d MLR.
BATANES ISLANDS, Philippines – Strategically positioned on an island in the Luzon Strait, U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, established a Fires Expeditionary Advanced Base (EAB) with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) and conducted simulated maritime interdiction as a part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9, June 1, 2025. The event was tied to a larger Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation (MKTSO), during which U.S. Marines with 3d LCT and Philippine Marines with Marine Battalion Landing Team 10 rehearsed securing and defending key maritime terrain in the advancement of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
CAMP SCHWAB, OKINAWA, JAPAN – On May 8th, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines (2/23) executed an Alert Contingency Marine Air-Ground Task Force (ACM) rehearsal designed to assess the battalion’s readiness to rapidly respond to a range of crises. Operating under the 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa, 2/23 improved their ability to quickly mobilize and complete complex operations under time-sensitive conditions.
The III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group concluded Exercise Kaiju Rain 25 on May 12 with a closing ceremony, marking a significant step forward in advancing the Marine Corps’ operations across the information environment in the Indo-Pacific.