Camp Pendleton, California. (October 26, 2023): They came from the other side of the world to train with America’s best. The 1st Guards Battalion, 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade, Singapore Armed Forces joined the I Marine Expeditionary Force during Valiant Mark 2023 exercises held here. In this photo by Sergeant Nicolas Atehortua, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Dana Beesley, center, a communication operations chief, takes cover with members of the Singapore armed forces after a controlled explosion. The Singapore troops worked alongside the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit during the weeklong event.
The exercise gave members of the Singapore military the chance to get to know their Marine counterparts and to take part in realistic combat training and subject matter exchanges. The two militaries compared notes on snipers, mortars, indirect fires, and fire support coordination. Other topics included the use of combat engineers, anti-tank strategy, unmanned aerial systems, and field medicine. Singapore Guardsmen and Marines fought their way through obstacles during live fire exercises that improved their small-arms tactics. These exchanges included how to integrate mortars, artillery, and naval gunfire to provide close air support.
The highlight of the training was an amphibious assault exercise where U.S. Marines and Singapore Guardsmen seized two inland objectives with two reinforced companies from 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines and one company from 1st Guards Battalion. After much planning, the militaries demonstrated their combined arms and amphibious warfighting skills.
Singapore has one of Southeast Asia’s most capable and well-equipped militaries with an Army (45,000), Air Force (8,000), and Navy (7,000) making it by far the largest regional force. The infantry battalions include artillery, engineer, and logistic units while the Air Force and Navy patrol the country’s vital coastal waters and shipping lanes.
Exchanges like these strengthen military capabilities but also establish lifelong camaraderie among these professional warriors.