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Marine Colonel Emphasizes Maritime Readiness, Partnerships at Navy League Convention - U.S. Marine Corps Col. Luke Watson speaks during a sea services panel June 6 at the Navy League National Convention in Jacksonville. Watson, commanding officer of Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, the hub of Marine Corps prepositioning programs, underscored the importance of maritime readiness and strategic partnerships. He addressed key aspects of the Marine Corps' evolving strategies, underlining the service's commitment to maintaining readiness and adapting to emerging threats. (Official U.S. Marine Corps Photo/Dustin Senger)

Marine Colonel Emphasizes Maritime Readiness, Partnerships at Navy League Convention

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Luke Watson underscored the importance of maritime readiness and strategic partnerships during a sea services panel June 6 at the Navy League National Convention in Jacksonville. With the backdrop of the St. Johns River, which flows into the Atlantic, the colonel overseeing the hub of Marine Corps prepositioning programs, explained the importance of maritime readiness and partnerships.

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U.S. Army Reserve vessel Robert T. Kuroda - U.S. Army Reserve vessel Robert T. Kuroda (LSV-7) stages equipment to be transported to the shore during the combined joint over-the-shore operations in preparation for Exercise Balikatan 25 in Dingalan, Philippines, April 9, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force, and demonstrate our commitment to regional security and stability. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brian Knowles)

Blount Island Command Lays Backbone to Balikatan

As thousands of troops prepare for Balikatan 25, the largest-ever iteration of the U.S.-Philippines bilateral exercise, Blount Island Command arrived in mid-March as a critical partner in combined joint logistics and maritime deployment. The command, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, ensures combat-ready equipment and supplies are readily available, serving as a logistical backbone for the exercise and demonstrating the U.S. commitment to its allies in the region. Some 16 nations will participate, including Australia and, for the first time, Japan.

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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.

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Kirol tours Marine Corps' prepositioning hub in Florida - U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Charles P. Kirol, commander, Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, meets with William Fish, Navy prepositioning department director, Blount Island Command, during a tour of prepositioning programs Dec. 6, 2024, at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida. Located along the St. John's River, Blount Island Command's Navy Point plays a critical role in ensuring the readiness and reliability of Navy equipment worldwide. During the tour, Fish explained the recent launch of a new training program on Blount Island that's improving the proficiency of Navy cargo loading operations.

Kirol tours Marine Corps' prepositioning hub in Florida

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Charles P. Kirol, commander, Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, toured prepositioning programs Dec. 6 at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida.

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Sailors assigned to the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Carney, homeported at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, sing the “The Marines’ Hymn” while completing chief petty officer initiation capstone events Sept. 25 at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida. - Sailors assigned to the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Carney, homeported at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, sing the “The Marines’ Hymn” while completing chief petty officer initiation capstone events Sept. 25 at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida.

USS Carney Sailors Finish Chief Initiation at Marine Facility in Florida

With a gentle breeze in a warm and humid morning along a northeast Florida slipway, Sailors were singing “The Marines’ Hymn.”

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