U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, depart on C-130J aircraft from the German-French Binational Air Transport Squadron (BATS) and Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 252, Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aviation Wing, at Bardufoss Airport, Norway, March 11, 2026. The participation of the German-French BATS highlighted the importance of allied integration and showcased the rapid deployment capabilities of combined NATO forces. A key component of NATO's enhanced vigilance activity Arctic Sentry, exercise Cold Response 26 is a Norwegian-led winter military exercise designed to enhance collective defense capabilities and ensure U.S. readiness to rapidly deploy and...
U.S. Marine Corps Col. Todd Mahar, the officer in charge for Expeditionary Operations Training Group, accompanied by his family, walks out after the conclusion of his retirement ceremony on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 6, 2026. II Marine Expeditionary Force hosts a retirement ceremony for Mahar after serving honorably for 31 years in the United States Marine Corps. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dorian Melrath)
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — U.S. Marines with II Marine Expeditionary Force, alongside U.S. naval forces, and partners from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL), tested new defenses against swarming drones during the Technology Operational Experimentation Event (TOEE) “Wave Breaker”, from Jan. 26, 2026, to Feb. 6, 2026.
