U.S. Marines assigned to 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, participate in a change of command ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, July 16, 2026. The ceremony formally transferred authority and responsibility from Lt. Col. Matthew Sladek, the outgoing commander, to Lt. Col. Joshua Anderson, the incoming commander. Sladek is from Washington and Anderson is from Virginia. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Cpl. Matthew Benfield)
CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan–During Resolute Dragon 26, Marines with 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, took part in bilateral training with the Western Army System Signal Group, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force on June 24-25, 2026, at Camp Kengun, Kumamoto, Japan. The aim of this bilateral training was to increase interoperability via a knowledge exchange between U.S. and Japanese forces.
On June 23, 2026, U.S. and Japanese service members, civilians, and leaders gathered at Mabuni Hill in Peace Memorial Park to mark Okinawa's 81st Memorial Day. The ceremony, held at the Cornerstone of Peace monument (which honors over 250,000 lives lost in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa regardless of nationality), served as a powerful symbol of reconciliation, turning past tragedy into an enduring bilateral alliance focused on a free and open...
