Photo By Sgt. Ezekieljay Correa | U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3 disembark an MV-22B Osprey...... read more read more
Subscribe
U.S. Marines and Sailors with the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3 (MRF-D 25.3) Marine Air-Ground Task Force and U.S. Department of State (DoS) role players successfully completed a MAGTF integration check at Robertson Barracks, Darwin, Australia, June 13 - 15.
The integration check is a three-day scenario-based training exercise designed by Expeditionary Operations Training Group (EOTG), I Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), to test and validate the successful integration of all MRF-D MAGTF elements to ensure the unit’s readiness to respond to a real-world crisis or contingency within the Indo-Pacific region.
“The purpose of EOTG is to train and evaluate through MAGTF level scenarios. EOTG’s role during the Integration Check was to conduct scenario design, exercise control, and evaluate MRF-D,” says Captain Niccolo Punelli, the assistant logistics officer of EOTG and the range safety officer of the exercise.
The exercise’s scenario involved a notional U.S. embassy reinforcement, resulting from a notional information campaign by adversary forces to de-legitimize the presence of the United States within the host nation. The MRF-D 25.3 MAGTF was tasked with acting as a crisis-response team, providing security forces to the embassy for continued operations with the overall goal of deescalating the crisis in scenario
“Any time the MAGTF has the opportunity to plan and execute a mission set that we may be called upon to do in the real world, we take it,” says Lt. Col. Andrew Williamson, the executive officer of the MRF-D 25.3 MAGTF and the scenario-based Forward Coordination Element (FCE) officer-in-charge. “My role as the FCE OIC is to lead a small team of enablers for the initial engagement with DoS and Diplomatic Security Services staff.”
Through proper coordination and planning between the FCE, DoS, the MRF-D MAGTF command element was able to successfully provide security reinforcements and establish an Evacuation Control Center (ECC) at the simulated embassy, utilizing the MAGTF air combat element’s (ACE) MV-22B Ospreys assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM)363, MRF-D 25.3, for inserting security and assistance forces.
“As the most forward-deployed unit of I MEF, west of the International Date Line, the MRF-D MAGTF is uniquely postured and equipped to be able to respond in a time of crisis. Our MV-22 Ospreys give us extended operational reach within the region and put us in position to respond to crisis on short notice.”
Upon their arrival, U.S. Marines with comprising the security forces were tasked with conducting surveillance, securing the perimeter from potentially hostile forces in the scenario, linking up with DoS personnel, and preparing to facilitate evacuation operations for role players if the environment in the scenario deteriorated further. Throughout the event, Marines practiced de-escalation techniques by providing tactful, non-violent responses to hostile role players acting as protesters and U.S. citizens crowding the perimeter.
After successfully securing the embassy’s perimeter, the situation in the scenario began to deteriorate. Simulated protests grew in size and increased aggressive behavior, prompting DoS role players to request MRF-D aid for non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO) for DoS personnel and U.S. citizens in the scenario. U.S. Marines and Sailors with the ECC were able to rapidly receive and process U.S. DoS personnel and citizens to prepare them for flights out of the notional country via MV-22B Osprey lift from the MAGTF ACE.
“By doing this type of training, we identify gaps in our knowledge and processes so we can learn and adapt. The more we train, the better we are.”
The collaborative efforts of the MRF-D 25.3 MAGTF, DoS role players, and EOTG, resulted in a successful embassy reinforcement, ECC and NEO operations, enabled by each element of the MAGTF. Decisive command and control of forces, rapid execution of land and air forces, and constant communication synchronization, ultimately led to the transportation of simulated evacuees in a safe and efficient manner, completing the three-day exercise and validating the crisis response force capabilities of the MRF-D 25.3 MAGTF.
| Date Taken: | 06.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2025 21:19 |
| Story ID: | 501100 |
| Location: | ROBERTSON BARRACKS, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AU |
| Web Views: | 124 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S. Marines, Sailors with MRF-D 25.3 conduct integration check, by Sgt Ezekieljay Correa, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
