Photo By Seaman Apprentice Trace Gorsuch | U.S. Sailors and Marines assigned to the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), remove debris during a beach cleanup on Ypao Beach, Guam, April 21, 2026. Boxer, flagship of the Boxer ARG, and elements of the 11th MEU, are providing vital defense support to civil authorities, contributing to crisis response and recovery efforts in the wake of Super Typhoon Sinlaku. In supporting FEMA and local governments, the Boxer ARG fills critical capability gaps to enable restoration of essential services by civil authorities. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Trace Gorsuch) see less
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Boxer ARG and 11th MEU Sailors and Marines Provide Post-Typhoon Sinlaku Relief
TUMON, Guam - U.S. Sailors and Marines assigned to the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) supported Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ civil and local authorities in their recovery efforts from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, April 22-28, 2026.
The Boxer ARG and 11th MEU team leveraged its ship-to-shore surface and aviation capabilities to execute targeted deliveries of essential supplies across the CNMI. One CH-53E Super Stallion and two MV-22B Ospreys assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 163 (Reinforced), successfully transported 14 pallets, totaling over 29,235 pounds of water and rations, from Guam to Saipan to aid those most impacted. Additionally, landing craft, air cushions with Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 5 delivered 11 power generators and served as a transportation platform for other Department of War assets between the CNMI.
Supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local governments, the Boxer ARG and 11th MEU provided a critical capability to enable the restoration of essential and lifesaving services by civil authorities.
“The Boxer ARG and 11th MEU were postured, trained, and fully integrated with local and federal partners to ensure a rapid and effective response to Super Typhoon Sinlaku,” said U.S. Navy Capt Wayne Leopold, commodore of Amphibious Squadron One. “I am proud of the professionalism that our Sailors and Marines have demonstrated in delivering aid to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.”
Led by the Guam Visitor’s Bureau (GVB) Destination Development and Maintenance team, over 100 Marines and Sailors cleaned debris, sand and trash scattered across Ypao Beach, Guam. This large-scale clean-up operation contributed to local recovery efforts and a return to normalcy on the island.
“Any opportunity to lend a helping hand is one that I am willing to jump on,” said U.S. Navy Gas Turbine Systems Technician 2nd Class Adrian Mista, assigned to ACU-5 and one of the volunteers who participated in the clean-up. “I was glad to be out there helping to restore the beauty of this island after a storm.”
With Guam and the CNMI overcoming infrastructure damage and power outages caused by Sinlaku, the Boxer ARG and 11th MEU team provided vital Defense Support to Civil Authorities.
For Marine Corps Cpl. Jace Bryant Songsong, this mission truly hit home. Having experienced the devastation of Typhoon Soudelor in 2015 while growing up in Saipan, lending a helping hand was both professional and personal.
“After Typhoon Soudelor, my family and everyone in my area went about nine months without power or water. Fast forward to today, I'm one of the first responders to assist the islands in their time of need,” said Songsong, an aviation supply Marine assigned to VMM-163, 11th MEU. “Having lived through that experience previously, I know the fear going through the hearts of the families on Saipan. A weight was lifted off my chest when I heard that we were on stand-by to provide aid to the islands.”
Songsong enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2023 with hopes of traveling the world and having new experiences. According to him, he never expected to return to his home to deliver aid in the wake of disaster.
“This is one of those major coincidences that really struck me as mind-boggling,” Songsong said. “From being so near to home assisting in their time of need, to landing right next to my house on Saipan when offloading water. I am relieved to know that our team is continuously working their hardest to assist my home.”
The Boxer ARG and 11th MEU carries approximately 5,000 Sailors and Marines across three ships: Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland (LPD 27), and Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Comstock. Operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, it is capable of launching and landing helicopters and amphibious landing craft, making it critical to both combat power projection and humanitarian assistance efforts across the Indo-Pacific region.
“The Boxer ARG and 11th MEU team is both America’s closed fist, and its open hand. In the wake of this devastating typhoon, we had the privilege of being the latter,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Caleb Hyatt, commanding officer of the 11th MEU. “From delivering critical aid to remote islands, to helping clean up a local beach, our Marines and Sailors stand ready to support the people of Guam and CNMI.”
U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific.
For more information, photos, videos and stories about the Boxer ARG and 11th MEU, please visit:[https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/LHD-4](https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/LHD-4) & [https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/11MEU](https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/11MEU)
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