Veterans Day Week Red Friday: Honoring Our Heroes and Standing with Deployed Troops

As we close out Veterans Day week and wear red this Friday, November 15, 2024, we’re reminded of our dedication to honoring our nation’s servicemen and women and supporting those deployed across the world. This Veterans Day, we celebrated the sacrifices of those who have served and are currently serving to protect our nation’s values, standing united with our troops who continue to uphold freedom and stability around the globe.

One such powerful display of support comes from ongoing international exercises led by the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy. Keris MAREX, a collaborative military exercise with the Indonesian Marine Corps, highlights the commitment to maintaining a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. U.S. Marines and Sailors recently joined forces with allies in Southeast Asia as part of Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) deployment, training alongside the Philippine, Malaysian, and Singapore Armed Forces, and the Royal Thai Armed Forces. This rotational deployment showcases how the United States continually enhances regional security with its allies, ensuring our troops are ready and connected with international partners.

The week also saw the second Freedom Edge exercise, where Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States joined in a trilateral multi-domain training to strengthen interoperability in air, sea, and cyber defense. Freedom Edge is more than an exercise; it is a reaffirmation of allied readiness to stand together against any threats, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, where stability is crucial.

Each of these exercises not only reflects our support for our deployed troops but also underscores the unwavering solidarity shared among our allied nations. This Friday, as we wear red to honor the brave men and women deployed, we remember the words of Col. Stuart W. Glenn, commanding officer of MRF-SEA: “The Marine Corps is committed to preserving the freedom of the region and its people. We train together to strengthen our relationships and collective capabilities.”

This Red Friday, let’s keep our hearts with those on the front lines, reaffirming our commitment to support our troops wherever they are deployed. Whether stationed abroad for exercises like Keris MAREX, serving in the Freedom Edge initiative, or forward-deployed with MRF-SEA, our servicemen and women rely on the knowledge that back home, we stand with them, wearing red and honoring their dedication and sacrifice.

United States Opens New Missile Defense Base in Poland, Strengthening NATO Alliance

13 November 2024

The United States officially inaugurated a new missile defense base in Redzikowo, northern Poland, on November 13, 2024. Located near the Baltic coast and approximately 250 kilometers from Kaliningrad, this strategic facility has been under development since the early 2000s.

The Polish government views the new base as a significant milestone in reinforcing its longstanding defense partnership with NATO and the United States. Highlighting the base as a symbol of unity, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated that it “demonstrates the geostrategic resolve of the United States.”

Polish President Andrzej Duda attended the opening ceremony alongside NATO officials, emphasizing Poland’s commitment to NATO’s missile defense initiative, known as Aegis Ashore. This system includes components across Europe, such as a second site in Romania, U.S. Navy destroyers stationed in Rota, Spain, and an early-warning radar in Turkey.

According to NATO, the missile shield is strictly defensive and aims to intercept short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz recently suggested expanding the shield’s scope, which Poland plans to discuss further with NATO and U.S. partners.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, has expressed concerns over the facility’s proximity to Russia, viewing it as part of an expanding U.S. military infrastructure near Russian borders. Russia’s government has indicated it may adopt measures to preserve strategic balance in the region, although specific actions have yet to be detailed.

U.S. Marine Corps and Partners Strengthen Regional Security and Interoperability in Southeast Asia with MRF-SEA and Keris MAREX Exercises

Keris MAREX, a key bilateral exercise led by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Indonesian Marine Corps, or Korps Marinir, aims to enhance military interoperability, bolster maritime domain awareness, and strengthen partnerships within the Indo-Pacific region. This initiative aligns with the mission to promote a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. MRF-SEA, an operational model by Marine Corps Forces Pacific, supports these goals through expert exchanges, advancing security objectives with Allies and Partners, and positioning I MEF forces west of the International Date Line.

On November 13, 2024, U.S. Marines and Sailors from I Marine Expeditionary Force arrived in the Philippines as part of the third annual rotational deployment of Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA). Kicking off their six-month deployment, MRF-SEA forces will engage in training exercises with Philippine Allies in Sama Sama 2024 and KAMANDAG 8 from October 7-24, 2024.

The MRF-SEA rotation, which will continue through March 2025, includes six additional exercises and security cooperation engagements throughout Southeast Asia. These exercises involve training with the Philippine Marine Corps, the Malaysian Army, the Indonesian Marine Corps, the Royal Brunei Land Forces, the Singapore Armed Forces, and the Royal Thai Armed Forces. The annual deployment enhances regional interoperability, strengthens relationships, and maintains a U.S. Marine Corps presence in Southeast Asia, supporting freedom in the Indo-Pacific.

MRF-SEA functions as a flexible task force, adapting in size, capability, and composition for mission-specific needs. It serves as a forward-deployed force for crisis response and security cooperation, comparable to Unit Deployment Program and Marine Expeditionary Unit deployments. MRF-SEA fosters security partnerships, addressing shared security goals with regional Allies and promoting stability.

“Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia is deploying to the Indo-Pacific region to train and operate alongside our Allies and partners,” said Col. Stuart W. Glenn, commanding officer of MRF-SEA. “The Marine Corps is committed to preserving the freedom of the region and its people. We train together to strengthen our relationships and collective capabilities, and the intent of MRF-SEA is to cultivate and reinforce the common values and capabilities between our partners and to preserve a rules-based international order.”

The deployment features expert-led training exchanges across various disciplines, such as ground and aircraft fires integration, combat medical care, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Neurological response, logistics in contested environments, small boat and amphibious operations planning, and Unmanned Aerial Surveillance. Realistic joint training will also cover live fire exercises, urban terrain operations, amphibious tactics, and hand-to-hand combat.

MRF-SEA’s presence provides a consistent, annual Marine Corps deployment to the Indo-Pacific, as Marine Rotational Force-Darwin transitions back to the U.S. This sustained presence offers a versatile force capable of command and control, operational planning, and theater security cooperation throughout the region.

The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit command element leads MRF-SEA during this rotation, adjusting the force’s size and structure to effectively complete the planned exercises. Elements from 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, and 1st Marine Division will integrate with the rotational force to accomplish mission goals and maintain the U.S. Marine presence in Southeast Asia.

Japan, Republic of Korea, and United States Execute Second Freedom Edge Exercise to Strengthen Regional Security

On November 13, 2024, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the United States launched the second iteration of Freedom Edge, a trilateral multi-domain exercise designed to enhance interoperability and reinforce their commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on the Korean Peninsula.

Building on the first Freedom Edge exercise conducted in June, this iteration is part of the Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework, established during the Camp David Summit in August 2023 and formalized with a Memorandum of Cooperation signed in July. The exercise underscores the partners’ shared dedication to addressing escalating security challenges in the region.

Participating forces include advanced ships and aircraft from each nation: Japan’s JS Haguro, P-3, F-15, F-2, and E-767; the Republic of Korea’s ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong, ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin, P-3, F-35, and F-15; and the United States’ USS George Washington, USS Higgins, USS Dewey, P-8, F-35, F-18s, and KC-135.

This exercise features state-of-the-art defense capabilities, integrating 5th generation fighters and focusing on advanced tactics in Ballistic Missile Defense, Air Defense, Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, Maritime Interdiction, and Defensive Cyber operations. Such collaboration ensures these forces can operate seamlessly and effectively against evolving threats.

Through continued close cooperation, Japan, the ROK, and the United States are committed to further expanding their partnership in the face of a complex security environment.