Photo By Cpl. Noah Martinez | U.S. Marines, Sailors and staff with Marine Corps Installations West conduct a...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Exercise! Exercise! Exercise!
Semper Durus 2026 is a regional antiterrorism, force protection and contingency response exercise designed to strengthen installation and regional crisis response capabilities in support of mission assurance and the deployment of I Marine Expeditionary Force, while ensuring continued support to tenant commands and Marine Corps families.
Marine Corps Installations West regional facilities — including Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow — coordinated with 13 federal, state and local agencies for a multiday exercise held April 20-24, 2026.
Of the agencies, there was participation by: DHS – Critical Infrastructure Security Administration, U.S. Border Patrol, Federal Protective Service, California Department of Transportation, California Highway Patrol, California Office of Emergency Services, San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center, San Diego Cyber Center of Excellence, California Independent System Operator, NCIS, Defense Coordination Element Region IX and the University of Arizona.
“Over my four years here at Camp Pendleton, I’ve had the privilege of building strong, enduring relationships with our local and interagency partners,” said Lt. Col. Kyle Larish Assistant Chief of Staff Security and Emergency Services, MCB Camp Pendleton. “The exercise is a testament to those bonds. Uniting behind a shared mission to tackle these complex challenges doesn’t just validate our capabilities, it reinforces the deep trust that makes our collective work across the region so effective."
As Semper Durus continues to serve as a critical exercise for enhancing regional preparedness, its importance extends beyond training. It symbolizes the strength of collaboration between local, regional, and federal agencies, ensuring that both military and civilian partners are aligned and equipped to address evolving challenges. With a focus on interoperability and strategic response, the exercise plays a vital role in strengthening the operational readiness of forces, as well as fostering a culture of shared responsibility among all participants.
“Semper Durus is a live and virtual scenario that tests our ability to enable I MEF to forward deploy forces in a contested environment,” said Willy Buhl, the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff Government and External Affairs, MCB Camp Pendleton. “Semper Durus is our annual ‘Super Bowl’ of Installation and Regional preparedness to support our warfighting MEF.”
The annual training offers multiple scenarios designed to train and challenge all participating agencies. These scenarios may range from active shooter situations to combating improvised explosive devices to assessing and deflecting online digital compromise and misinformation, disinformation and or malinformation. Each scenario tests participants' skills and metrics.
"During a crisis, the information environment moves fast and rumors can spread quickly,” Capt. Derek Vanwyck, Communication Strategy and Operations Director, MCAS Yuma. “By integrating Communications Strategy and Operations capabilities into this exercise, we practice releasing factual, visually supported information in real-time. This integration is essential to maintaining public trust and countering misinformation when it matters most."
By simulating realistic crisis scenarios, Semper Durus tests communication and decision-making under pressure, ensuring lessons learned translate into measurable improvements across all participating agencies.
“I have seen steady improvement at all levels of local, state, and interagency cooperation,” Buhl said with confidence. “Our techniques, tactics and procedures have commensurately improved integration of MCIWEST bases and stations.”
With a controlled training environment and exposure throughout the days, all participating agencies can sharpen mission-critical skills and deepen their knowledge, confidence and proficiency to improve interagency coordination.
As echoed by Col. Carlos Jackson, Assistant Chief of Staff G3/5, MCB Camp Pendleton.
“Semper Durus is a MCIWEST regional exercise focused on emergency preparedness, force protection, interagency coordination, and rapid crisis response,” said Jackson. “In partnership with our local agencies, we are strengthening our ability to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies that may impact both the installation and our surrounding communities.”
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2026 18:30 |
| Story ID: | 563578 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Prepare, Respond, Recover Exercise Semper Durus 2026 tests regional readiness, by LCpl Adrian Estrada, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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