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Dili, Timor-Leste (February 15, 2023): In this photo by Sergeant Nicolas Atehortua, Marines assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to the amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha watch a native dance performed by the people of Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor.
Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training/Marine Exercise (CART) is a bilateral exercise between Timor-Leste and the United States designed to promote regional security cooperation, strengthen maritime partnerships, and enhance maritime interoperability. In its 28th year, the CARAT series is designed to help U.S. and partner forces operate together in response to maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
During the exercise, 100 Timor-Leste Defense Force service members plus members of the National Police participated in a series of trainings aboard John P Murtha and at Hera Naval Base on the island. These sessions included classroom and practical application of combat life saving techniques, helicopter-borne assault operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief , and board, search, and seizure exercises.
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Hohenfels Training Area, Germany. (February 19, 2023): In this photo by Staff Sergeant Jose Rodriquez Guzman, a soldier assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment engages the enemy during Dragoon Ready 23, an exercise to enhance readiness and improve coordination with our NATO allies. Some 2,500 troopers and 120 soldiers from the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade joined soldiers from Italy and the United Kingdom to conduct combat drills and hone interoperability between forces.
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, also known as the 2nd Dragoons, is an active Stryker Infantry and cavalry regiment of United States Army Europe and Africa and is garrisoned at Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany.
Formed in 1836, the Regiment has distinguished itself in major campaigns including the Indian Wars, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, both world wars, and the Persian Gulf War.
The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, whose motto is “Wings of Victory”, is a combination of attack/reconnaissance helicopters (AH-64 Apache), medium-lift helicopters (Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk), and heavy-lift helicopters including the Boeing CH-47 Chinook.
Hohenfels is home to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center that trains leaders, staffs, and units to conduct of Unified Land Operations anywhere in the world. The Center covers 40,000 acres, has a short takeoff/landing strip, and is the second largest maneuver area available to U.S. troops in Europe.
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Fort Stewart, Georgia. (February 18, 2023): In this photo by PFC Summer Parrish, soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division low crawl while carrying a simulated casualty during a competition to earn their Expert Field Medical Badge. To succeed, soldiers must pass a written and physical fitness test, negotiate various land navigation courses, and demonstrate advanced casualty care. Soldiers participate in a 12-mile march while treating and evacuating wounded soldiers under simulated combat conditions.
The 3rd Infantry Division (nicknamed the Rock of the Marne) is a combined arms division of the XVIII Airborne corps and U.S Army Forces Command. Its current organization includes a division headquarters, two armored brigade combat teams, one National Guard infantry brigade, and one aviation brigade. The division has a distinguished history, having seen active service in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Global War on Terror. The Medal of Honor has been awarded to 61 members of the 3rd Infantry Division, making it the most honored in the Army.
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Okinawa, Japan. (February 9, 2023): In this photo by Corporal Cesar Alarcon, Marines with the III Marine Expeditionary Force board a C-130J Super Hercules transport plane at Kadena Air Force base during Bushido Strike 23, an annual exercise to test combat readiness. The Marines and sailors participated in a series of training events including cold weather training, marksmanship at pistol and rifle ranges, mounted live-fire convoys, a combat lifesaver course, and professional military education.
The harsh winter conditions and challenging terrain in South Korea adds a higher level of complexity and difficulty to the exercise. In Korea, the temperatures average 30 degrees in February and are expected to be as low as 8 degrees with a windchill factor of 1 degree below zero at the start of Bushido Strike 23. The exercise is a critical evaluation of the combat readiness of Marine infantry regiments, battalions, and aviation squadrons that occurs every 2 years for active component and once every 5 years for the reserve component.
The III Marine Expeditionary Force is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force that is forward-deployed and able to rapidly respond to humanitarian crises and is prepared for high-intensity combat.
The group is in Asia to support the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan (1960) and other alliance relationships. The Marines and sailors of III MEF engage in more than 65 combined training exercises annually in treaty allies Japan, Thailand , South Korea, the Philippines, and Australia.
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South China Sea. (February 19, 2023) In this photo by MC2 Minh-Thy Chu, MC3 Eloise Johnson instructs a yoga class during morale day on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island while on patrol in the South China Sea. Morale day included a high-intensity interval training workout, yoga, golfing, fishing, and a 5K run on the flight deck. These activities are part of the Navy’s’ efforts to boost morale aboard warships that operate for long periods at sea.
The Navy has faced morale challenges in the past, according to the Navy Times, due to the relentless mission pace of America’s military. Sailors and Marines work exhausting schedules over many months that can lead to fatigue and a lack of focus on critical tasks, something that can prove deadly in wartime. The Navy recognizes the stress multiple deployments are having on personnel and is responding with programs to relieve boredom and boost morale.
The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group is comprised of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island, the amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage, and the USS John P. Murtha. The Group is named after the Battle of Makin, an engagement of the Pacific campaign during World War II.
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Camp Shelby, Mississippi. (February 7, 2023): In this photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Waters, Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 and Marines from the 8th Engineer Support Battalion defend an expeditionary advanced base of operations during a simulated attack. Famous for their bravery and skill constructing airfields during World War II, the Seabees and their Marine comrades are responsible for establishing and defending Marine forward operating bases in combat.
Based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the 8th Engineer Support Battalion is part of the 2nd Marine logistics group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, and is responsible for logistics and ordnance disposal. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133, nicknamed the “Runnin' Roos!”, provides advance base construction, battle damage repair, contingency engineering, humanitarian assistance, and disaster recovery support to the fleet.
Should war break out, these units would be the “tip of the spear” going ahead of major combat units to construct landing strips, clear explosives, and repair damage facilities to pave the way for main force units.
Camp Shelby is an important training site for active duty and reserve units stationed in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.