A heavy transport aircraft blows clouds of dust over a dirt airstrip as it touches down in Chandy Range with an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System primed to debark and fire its payload to any enemy targeted by its missiles. During exercise Cobra Gold 2020, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit rehearsed Combined Joint HIMARS Rapid Insertion at Chandy Range, Kingdom of Thailand March 2, 2020. The CJHIRAIN mission incorporated multiple nations and services in a coordinated operation that rapidly employed the HIMARS in a contested area in order to quickly fire in and exit a battleground.After several successful executions of ship to shore HIMARS operations, the CJHIRAIN mission during Cobra Gold 2020 marked the first time the 31st MEU

U.S. Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit welcomed Sergeant Major Douglas Gerhardt at a relief and appointment ceremony aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), March 11, 2020.During the ceremony, Sergeant Major Edwin A. Mota, outgoing 31st MEU Sergeant Major, turned the Sword of Office over to Sergeant Major Douglas Gerhardt, to symbolize the transfer of duty and responsibility from one Sergeant Major to the next. Colonel Robert Brodie, 31st MEU commanding officer, expressed his appreciation for the example that Mota set for all MEU Marines during his time at the MEU. “I am also grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve alongside the Marines and Sailors of this MEU as we remain in a posture of

A Hawaiian-based videographer was just the 11th woman in Marine Corps history to be awarded the title of Honorary Marine during a ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, March 6, 2020.Mrs. Barbara Mathews earned this prestigious honor for volunteering over 10 years of her personal time, talents and money capturing photo and video of hundreds of Marine Corps ceremonies, including memorials and special events surrounding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “The Marine Corps was not the only beneficiary of Mrs. Mathews’ efforts. The families of the Marines featured in her works were given a rare opportunity to witness the trials and triumphs of their loved ones. We are proud to have her officially join our ranks as an Honorary Marine.” Maj. Gen.

Explosions and bullets rain past obstacles as the Royal Thai Marine Corps and U.S. Marines clear ground in a bilateral assault March 5, 2020, as part of exercise Cobra Gold 2020. Over the course of an hour, a force of over 100 Marines and Thais demonstrated combat breaching of obstacles and indirect fire support for combined arms rehearsals.Participating units from the Royal Thai military executed a ground assault with Royal Thai Marine Corps BTR-60s, artillery, and 60 mm mortars with support by Marine Corps 81 mm mortars, artillery, and M2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun fire. Culminating from days of bilateral drills and rehearsals, the combined force fully integrated into a fires and maneuver team capable of coordinating artillery, missile