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DARWIN, Australia – U.S. Marines with the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) 25.3 closed out the summer by operating alongside key allies and partners during Exercise Super Garuda Shield 25 in Indonesia and embarking combat-credible forces aboard the U.S. Navy’s expeditionary sea base USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) for the first time in the rotation’s history. These operations positioned distributed crisis response and combat credible forces across the First and Second Island Chains and demonstrated to combined and joint forces their ability to operate as a true stand-in force in the region.
Taking place immediately after Exercise Alon in the Philippines, Super Garuda Shield brought together service members from MRF-D’s ground combat element, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, and the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps. Together, they conducted several subject matter expert exchanges, building mastery in areas like land navigation, jungle survival, and tactical combat casualty care. The Marines of 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, MRF-D 25.3, strengthened relationships with key partners and refined critical skills fundamental to every warfighter, emphasizing interoperability and striving toward the ability of partner forces to operate interchangeably in complex operations and environments.
Key leaders also participated in a pre-sail conference, where detailed planning and synchronization allowed for a unique first for MRF-D: Marines embarked on the Indonesian Navy landing dock ship KRI Makassar (590) alongside Indonesian Sailors and Marines. While underway, Marines continued to build interoperability alongside their Indonesian counterparts and observed a large-scale amphibious assault off the coast of Dabo Singkep Island as a steppingstone toward future combined amphibious operations.
“Super Garuda Shield put us shoulder-to-shoulder with regional partners, both on land and at sea,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Nicholas Foust, a company commander with 2nd Bn., 1st Marines, MRF-D 25.3. “Embarking on ship with our Indonesian allies is not just about the mission; it is an opportunity to build bonds that go beyond exercises. Each time we plan, train, and operate side by side, we build our warfighting skills and establish a mutual trust and camaraderie that prepares us to respond swiftly and decisively when duty calls. This is interoperability at its finest.”
During the amphibious assault, Marines with 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), MRF-D 25.3, played a critical role by working with Australian and Indonesian tactical air controllers to observe the airspace, facilitate communications between joint and multinational assets, and integrate naval surface fire support. Their efforts enabled the success of Indonesian and Australian fighter aircraft, U.S. maritime patrol aircraft, and surface combatants from the United States, Japan, and Indonesia in finding, fixing, and engaging their targets with live ordnance, setting conditions for the maneuver of amphibious forces from Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, and Indonesia on the beachhead. Here ANGLICO served as the connective tissue between partner nations’ assets and capabilities to deliver lethal effects against a simulated adversary and enable maneuver of multinational forces across the battlespace.
“Our job was to make sure every aircraft and every naval gun supported the assault safely and effectively,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Erik “Sister” Carlson, a forward air controller with 1st ANGLICO, MRF-D 25.3. “When multiple nations are maneuvering simultaneously, that level of coordination is what turns a complex event into a successful combined arms operation.”
While Marines executed Super Garuda Shield, the MAGTF also turned its attention to the seas. For the first time in U.S. Marine Corps history, a reinforced rifle platoon along with six U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 363, MRF-D 25.3, embarked aboard the USS Miguel Keith to extend operational reach and provide flexible, combat-credible options across the Indo-Pacific.
In addition to its strategic importance, the embarkation carried deep personal significance for the Marines of 1st Marine Regiment, the MRF-D 25.3 command element. The USS Miguel Keith is a Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base named after U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen Lewis “Chesty” Puller, the most decorated Marine in history, former commanding officer of 1st Marine Regiment, and a leader who left a lasting impact on the Indo-Pacific. Embarking aboard a ship that bears his legacy as well as the legacy of U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Miguel Keith, a medal of honor recipient during the Vietnam War, connected Marines with their illustrious past, reinforcing the Marine Corps’ enduring role in the region.
Once aboard, Marines wasted no time rehearsing individual action drills, conducting routine MV-22B Osprey flight operations across the Philippine Sea, and working closely with the U.S. Navy, demonstrating the unbreakable bonds of the blue-green Navy and Marine Corps team. The embarkation marked a leap forward in positioning crisis response and combat credible U.S. Marine Corps formations afloat and showcased how a rotational MAGTF can effectively leverage expeditionary shipping to provide command and control, mobility, and a persistent presence in the Indo-Pacific.
“Embarking on the Miguel Keith shows we can project air and ground power from expeditionary platforms, retain our crisis response capabilities, and integrate seamlessly with the fleet,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Hunter “Sheldon” Kennedy, the operations officer of VMM-363, MRF-D 25.3. “Operating side-by-side with our Navy teammates reinforces the strength of the blue-green team and demonstrates how we bring complementary capabilities together in strategic waterways.”
Together, MRF-D’s operations afloat and ashore signaled to the region the U.S. Marine Corps’ growing ability for distributed forces to act decisively in times of crisis and to train, operate, and respond alongside allies and partners across the Indo-Pacific. Spread across continents and embarked at sea, MRF-D demonstrated that the MAGTF remains a flexible, scalable, and lethal stand-in force, postured to respond at a moment’s notice.
| Date Taken: | 09.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2025 02:06 |
| Story ID: | 548244 |
| Location: | DARWIN, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AU |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, MRF-D surges forward as the stand-in MAGTF, by 1LT Samuel DeRobertis, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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