Photo By 1st Lt. Samuel DeRobertis | U.S. Marine Corps Maj. David Miller (right), the current operations officer with...... read more read more
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KUANTAN, Malaysia –– Service members with the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and U.S. joint forces – including active duty and reserve components – concluded Bersama Warrior 25 on June 26, following 10 days of bilateral staff integration and scenario-based planning in Kuantan, Malaysia.
The annual staff exercise (STAFFEX), sponsored by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and hosted by the MAF, is designed to strengthen defense ties, enhance combined interoperability, and develop combined staff processes. This year’s iteration brought together a mix of active duty, reserve, and National Guard service members from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force to plan alongside their Malaysian counterparts.
For several U.S. units, 2025 marked their first time participating in Bersama Warrior. Among them were Marines with the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), soldiers with the Missouri Army National Guard, and civil affairs specialists with the 440th Civil Affairs Battalion.
“Our partnership with the Malaysian Armed Forces is rooted in shared commitment and mutual respect,” said Dr. John Wood, deputy director, joint training and exercises, USINDOPACOM. “I'm glad we're all able to get together and think through some of these important constructs of military planning.”
The foundation of the planning was the Military Decision Making Process – Multinational (MDMP-M). Nested under the Multinational Force Standard Operating Procedures (MNF SOP), the process provides a shared framework for operational planning that allowed joint and combined staff to integrate effectively across functions. U.S. and Malaysian planners worked to develop a combined operations order in response to a regional contingency scenario requiring humanitarian assistance and stability operations. Every step of the process was conducted jointly and in parallel, with each functional area incorporating Malaysian and U.S. planners to foster integration, transparency, and learning on both sides.
“Planning side-by-side with our Malaysian counterparts helped us develop a common understanding of the problem and arrive at a solution that capitalized on everyone’s strengths,” said Maj. David Miller, the current operations officer with MRF-D 25.3, and a combined planning group lead for the duration of the exercise. “It was a true team effort that reflects how we would operate together in a real-world scenario.”
The combined order developed during the exercise will serve as a foundation for future iterations of Bersama Warrior, as the plan developed here will be executed in scenario during Bersama Warrior 26, which will be a command post exercise (CPX). The continuity between iterations allows U.S. and Malaysian forces to build on shared progress and increase both the scope and complexity of the scenario each year.
The exercise concluded with a closing ceremony hosted by the MAF, where both U.S. and Malaysian service members were able to reflect on their shared accomplishments and look toward the future.
“As we close Bersama Warrior, let us take pride in what we’ve accomplished and look ahead with confidence,” said Brig. Gen. Michael Ake, the land component commander of the Washington Army National Guard. “The lessons learned and friendships forged here will echo far beyond this field, strengthening the ties between our nations and enhancing our collective security.”
Malaysian leaders shared a similar perspective. “Bersama Warrior 2025 has made us stronger, not just in military partnership, but as people united by sharing one purpose,” said Malaysian Navy Rear Adm. Saifudin Kamarudin. “As we look ahead, let’s continue to support each other and work together for a safer, more peaceful future.”
As the Indo-Pacific continues to evolve, exercises like Bersama Warrior remain a cornerstone of multinational cooperation, ensuring participating forces remain resilient, responsive, and united in purpose.
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2025 22:15 |
| Story ID: | 501642 |
| Location: | KUANTAN (TANJONG GELANG), MY |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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