Marine Corps’ newest rotational force arrives in Philippines for 6 months of training

Editor’s Note: This piece by Seth Robson features quotes from CSP Senior Fellow, Grant Newsham.

A relatively new Marine Corps rotational force has arrived in the Philippines for its third six-month deployment, just as the longtime U.S. ally engages in a test of wills with China.

Marine Rotational Force — Southeast Asia is scheduled to start work Monday with 2 ½ weeks of training alongside Philippine forces: Sama Sama and Kamandag, according to a news release Thursday from force spokesman Capt. Mark McDonough.

“The Marine Corps is committed to preserving the freedom of the region and its people,” rotational force commander Col. Stuart Glenn said in the release.

…

The rotation is a sign that I MEF is focused on the Indo-Pacific after years of involvement in conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia, said retired Marine Col. Grant Newsham, a senior researcher with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo.

Marine Rotational Force — Southeast Asia “also serves a purpose in having Marines operating in the region outside of Darwin — especially in the wet months when training in Northern Australia is difficult,” he said by email Friday.

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