Marines

News Stories Archive

Staff at the Recycle Center separate cardboard as it is delivered. Pictured from left to right: Chad Fukinaga, Joe Lapera, Gary Reavis, and Jovita Ambrosia. - Staff at the Recycle Center separate cardboard as it is delivered. Pictured from left to right: Chad Fukinaga, Joe Lapera, Gary Reavis, and Jovita Ambrosia.

Recycling in Paradise

When you live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with nearly a million other people, space is going to be an issue. We adapt, explore and have a lot of fun, but what to do with all of our trash? We can’t send it all to the landfill due to limited space, so we need to do our best to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible.

They Croak among Us

The cane toad (Rhinella marina) poses a threat to our beloved pets as well as our native wildlife. Cane toads’ skin is toxic, and they have poison glands that secrete a milky white fluid called bufotoxin. Even the eggs and tadpoles are poisonous to most animals.

U.S. Marine Corps military working dogs, Yenkie, left, and Diego pose for a photo, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Jan. 14, 2020. (U.S. Marine Corps Illustration by Sgt. Alex Kouns and Lance Cpl. Samantha Sanchez) - U.S. Marine Corps military working dogs, Yenkie, left, and Diego pose for a photo, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Jan. 14, 2020. (U.S. Marine Corps Illustration by Sgt. Alex Kouns and Lance Cpl. Samantha Sanchez)

Diego and Yenkie: The Future of DoD Law Enforcement

Across the Department of Defense (DoD), military working dogs serve many purposes. K-9’s are utilized to subdue suspects, find specific items, and people. Most are only capable of one or two of these functions; Diego and Yenkie, residents of the Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) Provost Marshal’s Office (PMO) kennels, are a bit different. Typically, military working dogs are dual purpose; Diego and Yenkie, however, are the first K-9’s in DoD law enforcement to fulfill all three of these functions.

Changes to Base Security and Access Control Order

Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) Order 5532.1, MCBH Access Control Order, became effective Dec. 30, 2019, and cancelled Chapter 4 of MCBH Order 5532, Base Security and Access Control. MCBH Order 5532.1 revises vehicle registration and base access procedures.

MCBH Household Hazardous Materials Re-use Room - MCBH Household Hazardous Materials Re-use Room

MCBH Household Hazardous Materials Re-use Room

Do you have half a can of paint sitting in the garage you are not sure what to do with? Do you have an empty propane tank that seems wasteful to throw away? Are you PCSing and hate to throw away all your lightly used gardening supplies? The place you are looking for is Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s Re-use Room (building 6409 near 3rd Marine Regiment’s Supply building along Mokapu Road).

Stormwater Management - Stormwater Management

Stormwater management

While swimming, waterskiing, or boating in Kaneohe or Kailua Bay have you seen plastic bags or cigarette butts floating around you? I have. Yuck! Did you know that storm water is a large source of pollution for both the Kaneohe and Kailua Bay? When it rains, pollution like trash, oil, pesticides, fertilizers, household chemicals, and toxic pollutants are washed into the ocean without being treated or filtered. Paved concrete and asphalt surfaces on roofs, driveways, streets, buildings, and parking lots send rainwater rushing into gutters and storm drains. This storm water – carrying all the pollution and debris it collects along the way – then gets emptied into drain systems that flow directly into Oahu’s bays.

A rendering of the soon to be constructed Wiki-Wiki Marine Mart, Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), Oct. 9, 2019. The WIki-Wiki is scheduled to be built fall of 2020 on MCBH. (Courtesy photo provided by Marine Corps Community Services, Logistics) - A rendering of the soon to be constructed Wiki-Wiki Marine Mart, Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), Oct. 9, 2019. The WIki-Wiki is scheduled to be built fall of 2020 on MCBH. (Courtesy photo provided by Marine Corps Community Services, Logistics)

New construction expands and develops MCBH

Expanding in recent years, Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) began development on three new construction projects to modernize the way our Marines work, train, eat, and play. The three projects include a larger and more modernized medical facility, new base housing, and expansion of the Wiki-Wiki shopping center.

MCB Hawaii:Overwatch

Guiding an aircraft to the ground safely is a task not only for the pilots, but also for the air traffic controllers. As an aircraft approaches the flight line of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Kaneohe Bay, Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), you hear the controller constantly engaging the pilot on the other end.

The Kaneohe Bay Range Training Facility is located in the northeastern corner of Marine Corps Base Hawaii in the Ulupa'u Crater. Nestled downrange just outside of the impact area are approximately 2,500 federally protected tree-dwelling seabirds.Read more here: https://www.mcbhawaii.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/1959422/boobies-bullets/ - The Kaneohe Bay Range Training Facility is located in the northeastern corner of Marine Corps Base Hawaii in the Ulupa'u Crater. Nestled downrange just outside of the impact area are approximately 2,500 federally protected tree-dwelling seabirds. Read more here: https://www.mcbhawaii.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/1959422/boobies-bullets/

Boobies & Bullets

The Kaneohe Bay Range Training Facility is located in the northeastern corner of Marine Corps Base Hawaii in the Ulupa'u Crater. Nestled downrange just outside of the impact area are approximately 2,500 federally protected tree-dwelling seabirds.

A peek into the future

After waiting for, what seemed like hours, finally you enter a room as a Marine greets you with a smiling face. “Good afternoon, how may I help you?” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Ingram, as he peeks his head over the computer screen on his desk. “Today, I got helped with the duty stations that I might have available to me now that I’m looking at becoming a chief,” said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Scott Roguska, combat graphics specialist, Communication Strategy and Operations.

A Neros Archer first-person view drone sits on a case during a demonstration range at Weapons Training Battalion on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, March 7, 2025. The Marine Corps Attack Drone Team used the Neros Archer FPV drone to engage targets on the range to showcase the drone’s capabilities on the battlefield. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joshua Barker) - A Neros Archer first-person view drone sits on a case during a demonstration range at Weapons Training Battalion on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, March 7, 2025. The Marine Corps Attack Drone Team used the Neros Archer FPV drone to engage targets on the range to showcase the drone’s capabilities on the battlefield. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joshua Barker)

Marine Corps Launches Attack Drone Team

On Jan. 3, 2025, the Commanding Generals of Training Command, Maj. Gen. Anthony M. Henderson, and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, Brig. Gen. Simon M. Doran, established the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team in response to the rapid proliferation of armed first-person view drone technology and tactics.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Tristan Walker, a helicopter crew chief with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 267, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, sights in on an M2 machine gun during a simulated close air support (SIMCAS) exercise during Korean Marine Exchange Program 25.1, in South Korea, March 11, 2025. SIMCAS are training exercises to provide ground combat with aerial support. KMEP is a semi-annual exercise that provides iterative opportunities for Republic of Korea Marine Corps and U.S. Marine Corps units to train together, improving their combined capabilities to deter threats and maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Yanisa Culp) - U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Tristan Walker, a helicopter crew chief with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 267, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, sights in on an M2 machine gun during a simulated close air support (SIMCAS) exercise during Korean Marine Exchange Program 25.1, in South Korea, March 11, 2025. SIMCAS are training exercises to provide ground combat with aerial support. KMEP is a semi-annual exercise that provides iterative opportunities for Republic of Korea Marine Corps and U.S. Marine Corps units to train together, improving their combined capabilities to deter threats and maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Yanisa Culp)

U.S. and ROK Marines Conclude Freedom Shield 25

III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) and 1st Marine Division successfully completed a significant training milestone alongside their Republic of Korea (ROK) Marine Corps counterparts as exercise Freedom Shield (FS) 25 concludes. While this phase of training ends, the Korean Marine Exercise Program (KMEP) continues throughout the year.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Louis Collins, left, a company commander with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, attached to Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia, I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Singapore Guardsman Lt. Col. Mohamad Fahrul Bin Saaid, the commanding officer for 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards, pose for a photo during the opening ceremony for Valiant Mark 25 on Bedok Camp, Singapore, March 17, 2025. Valiant Mark is an annual, bilateral training exercise designed to enhance interoperability, build mutual defense capabilities, and strengthen military-to-military relationships between the U.S. Marine Corps and Singapore Armed Forces. MRF-SEA is a rotational unit derived from elements of I MEF executing a U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific operational model that involves training events and exchanges with partner military subject matter experts, promotes security goals with Allied and partner nations, and ensures a persistent I MEF stand-in presence west of the international date line. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Shaina Jupiter) - U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Louis Collins, left, a company commander with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, attached to Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia, I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Singapore Guardsman Lt. Col. Mohamad Fahrul Bin Saaid, the commanding officer for 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards, pose for a photo during the opening ceremony for Valiant Mark 25 on Bedok Camp, Singapore, March 17, 2025. Valiant Mark is an annual, bilateral training exercise designed to enhance interoperability, build mutual defense capabilities, and strengthen military-to-military relationships between the U.S. Marine Corps and Singapore Armed Forces. MRF-SEA is a rotational unit derived from elements of I MEF executing a U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific operational model that involves training events and exchanges with partner military subject matter experts, promotes security goals with Allied and partner nations, and ensures a persistent I MEF stand-in presence west of the international date line. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Shaina Jupiter)

U.S. Marines and Singapore Guards Begin the 27th Iteration of Exercise Valiant Mark in Singapore

U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) began Exercise Valiant Mark 2025, alongside the 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards (3 GDS) and 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade (7 SIB), in a ceremony held aboard Bedok Camp, Singapore, March 17, 2025. This year’s exercise marks the 27th iteration of Valiant Mark, since its inception in 1991. The ceremony was presided over by Lt. Gen. Michael S. Cederholm, the commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Col. Wong Pui Chuan, Chief Guards Officer (CGO), commanding officer, 21st Singapore Division. Valiant Mark 25 training will continue through March 26.

U.S. Marines with Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) 1 pose for a photo at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma Arizona March 12, 2025. - U.S. Marines with Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) 1 pose for a photo at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma Arizona March 12, 2025. The pilots and crew were commended for their heroic efforts, demonstrating Marines capability to react to practical situations, the crew identified an injured motorcyclist while on a flight and provided medical evacuation back to MCAS Yuma. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Christian Radosti)

VMX-1 CH-53K Crew Rescues Stranded Civilian in California Desert

A crew of United States Marines assigned to Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VMX-1) successfully rescued a stranded civilian in the remote California desert on 11 February 2025, demonstrating the capabilities of the CH-53K King Stallion and the Marine Corps' commitment to readiness and response.

Participants of International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2025 pose for a group photo. IMX25 is the largest multinational training event in the Middle East, involving 5,000 personnel from around 30 nations and international organizations committed to preserving the rules-based international order and strengthening regional maritime security cooperation. - Participants of International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2025 pose for a group photo. IMX25 is the largest multinational training event in the Middle East, involving 5,000 personnel from around 30 nations and international organizations committed to preserving the rules-based international order and strengthening regional maritime security cooperation. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Angela Wilcox)

Task Force 51/5 Leads Command Post Exercise as part of NAVCENT’s International Maritime Exercise 25

For two weeks in February, Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force (TF) 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade lead a Command Post Exercise (CPX) as part of International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2025, the Middle East’s largest international exercise, where service members from over 30 partner nations came together to collaborate in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

A U.S. Navy Sailor with Beachmaster Unit 1, Naval Beach Group 1, guides a High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle with 3rd Marine Logistics Group off an Improved Navy Lighterage System during a 3rd MLG instream offload operation as part of Freedom Banner 25 at Republic of Korea Marine Corps Base Pohang, South Korea, Feb. 28, 2025. The instream offload, a training evolution alongside BMU1 and the ROKMC Marine Logistics Group, refines and validates 3rd MLG’s ability to transport, offload and distribute vehicles and equipment from ship to shore without the use of a pier. This type of sealift capability allows the unit to maneuver equipment in austere environments without using established infrastructure, such as in locations following a natural disaster. Freedom Banner 25 is a Maritime Prepositioning Force exercise where 3rd MLG offloads equipment and provides support to III Marine Expeditionary Force units training throughout South Korea, testing and validating 3rd MLG’s ability to conduct integrated logistics operations in complex environments. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan G. Wright) - A U.S. Navy Sailor with Beachmaster Unit 1, Naval Beach Group 1, guides a High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle with 3rd Marine Logistics Group off an Improved Navy Lighterage System during a 3rd MLG instream offload operation as part of Freedom Banner 25 at Republic of Korea Marine Corps Base Pohang, South Korea, Feb. 28, 2025. The instream offload, a training evolution alongside BMU1 and the ROKMC Marine Logistics Group, refines and validates 3rd MLG’s ability to transport, offload and distribute vehicles and equipment from ship to shore without the use of a pier. This type of sealift capability allows the unit to maneuver equipment in austere environments without using established infrastructure, such as in locations following a natural disaster. Freedom Banner 25 is a Maritime Prepositioning Force exercise where 3rd MLG offloads equipment and provides support to III Marine Expeditionary Force units training throughout South Korea, testing and validating 3rd MLG’s ability to conduct integrated logistics operations in complex environments. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan G. Wright)

3rd MLG Conducts Instream Offload with USN, ROKMC During Freedom Banner 25

U.S. Marines with 3rd Marine Logistics Group, U.S. Navy Sailors with Naval Beach Group 1, and Republic of Korea Marines with the ROK Marine Corps’ MLG conducted an instream offload at the beach outside of ROKMC Base Pohang during exercise Freedom Banner 25 in Pohang, South Korea, from Feb. 28 to March 1, 2025.

Marines Storm Ashore in South Korea, Showcasing Rapid Deployment Capabilities - Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 13 operates a crane to transfer vehicles and equipment Feb. 28 from the USNS Dahl to an Improved Navy Lighterage System during Freedom Banner 25 at the Republic of Korea Marine Corps Base Pohang, South Korea. (Official U.S. Marine Corps Photo/Cpl. Nicholas Martinez)

Marines Storm Ashore in South Korea, Showcasing Rapid Deployment Capabilities

U.S. Marines stormed ashore Feb. 28 to offload tactical vehicles and equipment from the USNS Dahl during an exercise at the Republic of Korea Marine Corps Base Pohang in South Korea. The in-stream offload from the containerized and rolling stock cargo ship, operated by Military Sealift Command, showcased the rapid deployment capabilities of maritime prepositioning force operations, which rely on pre-loaded ships that are forward-deployed and combat-ready.

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Office of Naval Research-Global TechSolutions recently demonstrated the Marine Corps Surf Observation Tool for Littoral Expeditionary Operations during Technical Concept Experiment 24.2 (TCE 24.2) hosted by the Office of Naval Research at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., Aug. 20-23. Meteorology and Oceanography Battlespace Surveillance Company 1st Intelligence Battalion Marines and NRL Ocean Science Division engineers observe surf conditions and LittoralLens system performance during amphibious combat vehicle operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Michael Walls) - The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Office of Naval Research-Global TechSolutions recently demonstrated the Marine Corps Surf Observation Tool for Littoral Expeditionary Operations during Technical Concept Experiment 24.2 (TCE 24.2) hosted by the Office of Naval Research at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., Aug. 20-23. Meteorology and Oceanography Battlespace Surveillance Company 1st Intelligence Battalion Marines and NRL Ocean Science Division engineers observe surf conditions and LittoralLens system performance during amphibious combat vehicle operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Michael Walls)

Next-Gen Tactical Decision Aid: A Naval System-of-Systems Approach

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineering and Research Development Center (ERDC) demonstrated the Marine Corps Surf Observation (SUROB) Tool for Littoral Expeditionary Operations during the Office of Naval Research’s Technical Concept Experiment 24.2 (TCE 24.2) at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., Aug. 20-23.

For the exercise’s culminating event, 3d LCT conducted a force-on-force operation against U.S. Army soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division. The training exercise taking place at PTA mirrors a Service Level Training Exercise by setting conditions for 3d MLR and its subordinate battalions to go forward to the Philippines in support of Exercise Balikatan 25 and Kamandag 9 this summer. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jacqueline C. Parsons) - U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Manuel Sandoval, a native of Mexico and an infantry rifleman with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, uses a service flag to signal a landing zone for a U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk during a training exercise at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Feb. 12, 2025.

3d MLR Conducts its first Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation across the Hawaiian Islands

Various U.S. Marine Corps and Army units put 3d Marine Littoral Regiment to the test during the Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation, Feb. 10-14, 2025. The evaluation exercise was the first of its kind with U.S. Marine Corps Training and Education Command, Marine Corps Tactics and Operations Group, and Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command providing support while 3d Marine Division and 12th Marine Littoral Regiment conducted the evaluation across multiple locations around the Hawaiian archipelago.

The Stormbreaker 25.1 exercise is designed to enhance combat readiness by establishing, maintaining, and defending communication networks and services, enabling commanders to effectively command and control their forces. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Bridgette Rodriguez) - U.S. Marines with 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, secure a stairway as part in a close quarters combat tactics class during the Stormbreaker 25.1 exercise on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 29, 2025.

Stormbreaker 25.1: 7th Communication Battalion Enhance Their Combat Effectiveness and Job Proficiency

Stormbreaker 25.1 was designed to enhance Marines’ combat readiness by establishing, maintaining, and defending communication networks and services, enabling commanders to effectively command and control their forces. The training also gave 7th Comm Bn’s noncommissioned officers the opportunity to teach and mentor their junior Marines with the intent to increase their knowledge in field craft and setting up communication assets.

Marine Corps Base Hawaii