From left, Armed Forces of the Philippines Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, commander, Southern Luzon Command, and Philippine Exercise Co-Director; Undersecretary Cardozo M. Luna, Undersecretary of the Department of National Defense; Sung Y. Kim, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines; Armed Forces of the Philippines Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., AFP Chief of Staff; and U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Christopher A. McPhillips, commanding general, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade stand shoulder-to-shoulder at Tejeros Hall, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Manila, Philippines, April 1, 2019. The ceremony represented the official commencement of Balikatan 2019 and the continued partnership between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines. Balikatan 19, in its 35th iteration, is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations held from April 1 to April 12. - From left, Armed Forces of the Philippines Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, commander, Southern Luzon Command, and Philippine Exercise Co-Director; Undersecretary Cardozo M. Luna, Undersecretary of the Department of National Defense; Sung Y. Kim, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines; Armed Forces of the Philippines Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., AFP Chief of Staff; and U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Christopher A. McPhillips, commanding general, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade stand shoulder-to-shoulder at Tejeros Hall, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Manila, Philippines, April 1, 2019. The ceremony represented the official commencement of Balikatan 2019 and the continued partnership between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines. Balikatan 19, in its 35th iteration, is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations held from April 1 to April 12.

Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 11, 1st Marine Logistics Group, prepare to attach an external load to a CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 during helicopter support team operations aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., July 19. HST operations are conducted to deliver supplies to service members who need the supplies quickly or are in difficult areas to reach via land. - Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 11, 1st Marine Logistics Group, prepare to attach an external load to a CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 during helicopter support team operations aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., July 19. HST operations are conducted to deliver supplies to service members who need the supplies quickly or are in difficult areas to reach via land.

Royal Marines with 45 Commando and U.S. Marines with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa discuss tactics and techniques for patrols during Trident Juncture 15, Oct. 21, 2015. Trident Juncture is one of many exercises ensuring that NATO is ready to deal with any emerging crisis from any direction, and that the Alliance is able to work effectively with partner nations. - Royal Marines with 45 Commando and U.S. Marines with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa discuss tactics and techniques for patrols during Trident Juncture 15, Oct. 21, 2015. Trident Juncture is one of many exercises ensuring that NATO is ready to deal with any emerging crisis from any direction, and that the Alliance is able to work effectively with partner nations.

U.S. Marines assigned to Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa and Seneglaese Compagnie Fusilier de Marin Commandos execute a “line of stern” patrolling formation during small-boat operations training in St. Louis, Senegal, July 3, 2015. Approximately 20 Marines, sailors and coast guardsmen with the unit spent the week teaching more than 30 members of the Fusilier Marins small-boat operations and maintenance skills. - U.S. Marines assigned to Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa and Seneglaese Compagnie Fusilier de Marin Commandos execute a “line of stern” patrolling formation during small-boat operations training in St. Louis, Senegal, July 3, 2015. Approximately 20 Marines, sailors and coast guardsmen with the unit spent the week teaching more than 30 members of the Fusilier Marins small-boat operations and maintenance skills.

Marine Cpl. Trevor Thompson, right, an infantryman with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa, observes as a member of the Seneglaese Compagnie Fusilier de Marin Commandos moves towards a simulated casualty during a basic skills competition in St. Louis, Senegal, July 2, 2015. More than 15 U.S. Marines and Sailors with the unit held a weapons and combat medical skills competition for more than 30 members of the Fusilier Marins in an effort to build and sustain infantry fundamentals. - Marine Cpl. Trevor Thompson, right, an infantryman with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa, observes as a member of the Seneglaese Compagnie Fusilier de Marin Commandos moves towards a simulated casualty during a basic skills competition in St. Louis, Senegal, July 2, 2015. More than 15 U.S. Marines and Sailors with the unit held a weapons and combat medical skills competition for more than 30 members of the Fusilier Marins in an effort to build and sustain infantry fundamentals.

Virginia Blazer, center, the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission to Tanzania, poses for a photo with Marines and Sailors assigned to a Security Cooperation Team with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa, and more than 40 Tanzanian park rangers following a graduation ceremony on the Selous Game Reserve in Matambwe, Tanzania, March 27, 2015. The park rangers graduated from counter illicit-trafficking training, which was the first-ever engagement between U.S. Service members and Tanzanian park rangers. The Marines and Sailors taught the park rangers infantry skills in an attempt to help counter illicit-trafficking in the region. - Virginia Blazer, center, the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission to Tanzania, poses for a photo with Marines and Sailors assigned to a Security Cooperation Team with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa, and more than 40 Tanzanian park rangers following a graduation ceremony on the Selous Game Reserve in Matambwe, Tanzania, March 27, 2015. The park rangers graduated from counter illicit-trafficking training, which was the first-ever engagement between U.S. Service members and Tanzanian park rangers. The Marines and Sailors taught the park rangers infantry skills in an attempt to help counter illicit-trafficking in the region.

Marines and Sailors with the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force, II Marine Expeditionary Force practice their decontamination skills on a volunteer during a training evolution at the Guardian Center in Perry, Ga. on February 4, 2015. The training aims to provide the Marines and Sailors with realistic crisis response scenarios. (Photo by: Sgt. Fareeza Ali/USMC) - Marines and Sailors with the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force, II Marine Expeditionary Force practice their decontamination skills on a volunteer during a training evolution at the Guardian Center in Perry, Ga. on February 4, 2015. The training aims to provide the Marines and Sailors with realistic crisis response scenarios. (Photo by: Sgt. Fareeza Ali/USMC)