U.S. Marines with I Marine Expeditionary Force board a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, during a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation as part of Exercise Steel Knight 23.2 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Dec. 2, 2023. The MCCRE consisted of a tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel exercise, high-altitude aerial refueling, aviation delivered ground refueling, and external lift exercises to ensure HMH-361's operational and combat readiness before deployment. Steel Knight 23.2 is a three-phase exercise designed to train I MEF in the planning, deployment and command and control of a joint force against a peer or near-peer maneuver capabilities of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jackson Rush) - U.S. Marines with I Marine Expeditionary Force board a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, during a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation as part of Exercise Steel Knight 23.2 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Dec. 2, 2023. The MCCRE consisted of a tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel exercise, high-altitude aerial refueling, aviation delivered ground refueling, and external lift exercises to ensure HMH-361's operational and combat readiness before deployment. Steel Knight 23.2 is a three-phase exercise designed to train I MEF in the planning, deployment and command and control of a joint force against a peer or near-peer maneuver capabilities of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jackson Rush)
1/22/2026 - https://news.usni.org/2026/01/16/u-s-japan-pledge-to-expand-joint-training-across-first-island-chain
1/20/2026 - https://www.stripes.com/branches/marine_corps/2026-01-14/camp-lejeune-marines-okinawa-korea-20401552.html
1/14/2026 - https://www.stripes.com/branches/marine_corps/2026-01-13/iii-mef-marine-corps-okinawa-expeditionary-20390710.html
1/12/2026 - https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2026/01/12/u-s-deploys-50-marines-for-joint-training-with-panamanian-forces/
1/07/2026 - https://www.redcross.org/local/north-carolina/about-us/news-and-events/news/u-s--marines-awarded-life-saving-award-on-camp-lejeune.html