News

Blount Island Visit Strengthens Joint Operability, Supports Allied Cooperation - U.S. Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 3 Alexander Woodward, port operations officer in charge at Blount Island Command, explains cargo loading procedures Sept. 19, 2025, during a tour aboard the USNS Sgt. William W. Seay, a cargo ship operated by the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida. The ship visit was part of a WHINSEC tour highlighting how the Marine Corps’ prepositioning programs support rapid global response. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Dustin Senger)

Blount Island Visit Strengthens Joint Operability, Supports Allied Cooperation

Forty-eight students from the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation completed a tour Sept. 19 at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida, where they learned how global prepositioning sustains readiness and joint operations.

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Blount Island Marines Support Special Operations Osprey Launch - U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command takeoff in a CV-22 Osprey during maneuvers Aug. 25, 2025, at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida. The launch was supported by aviation ground support equipment provided by Blount Island Command. OPSEC redactions applied per DoD guidance. (Official Marine Corps Photo/Cpl. Nicholas Martinez)

Blount Island Marines Support Special Operations Osprey Launch

Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island demonstrated its strategic value Aug. 25 by enabling the launch of CV-22 Ospreys assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command, underscoring the role of maritime prepositioning infrastructure in sustaining global readiness.

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M777 howitzer backloaded onto USNS Pililaau - An M777 howitzer is pulled aboard the USNS Pililaau during backload operations Aug. 19, 2025, at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida. The return of howitzers to maritime prepositioning, along with new innovations such as a recoil exerciser, strengthens long-term readiness for global contingencies. (Official Marine Corps Photo/Dustin Senger)

Marines Return Howitzers to Maritime Prepositioning, Modernized for Storage

U.S. service members, government civilians and defense contractors backloaded M777 howitzers aboard the USNS Pililaau on Aug. 19 at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida, marking the artillery system’s return to maritime prepositioning with the latest maintenance cycle.

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Faster, Sharper, Safer: Blount Island Shop Powers Global Readiness - Jeremy Biggers, woodworker, operates a computer-controlled beam saw July 21, 2025, in the preservation, packing and packaging shop at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida. Installed for Blount Island Command, the HK5 PL Series Horizontal Beam Saw was placed into production that day to enhance precision cutting and output in support of global prepositioning missions. (Official Marine Corps Photo/Dustin Senger)

Faster, Sharper, Safer: Blount Island Shop Powers Global Readiness

At Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida, situated along the St. Johns River with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean, a new computer-controlled beam saw is transforming raw wood into combat readiness. It's cutting faster, sharper and safer to keep Marines equipped and ready across the globe. The saw, capable of slicing dozens of 12-foot yellow pine boards in a single pass, went into production July 21 in a shop nestled within the Marine Corps’ global prepositioning hub. Workers use it to produce custom wooden containers that protect critical gear aboard forward-positioned cargo ships.

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Merles Takes Helm at Key Marine Corps Logistics Hub in Florida - U.S. Marine Corps Col. David Merles speaks to service members, government civilians, defense contractors and community leaders during a change of command ceremony July 2 at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida. Col. Luke Watson, who had served as commanding officer of Blount Island Command since Aug. 11, 2023, relinquished command to Merles while aboard the USNS Sgt. William W. Seay, a U.S. Navy maritime prepositioning ship. The facility is the hub of the Marine Corps’ prepositioning programs. Blount Island Command supports Marine expeditionary forces worldwide during military exercises and contingency operations, from combat to humanitarian. (Official U.S. Marine Corps Photo/Dustin Senger)

Merles Takes Helm at Key Marine Corps Logistics Hub in Florida

U.S. Marine Corps Col. David Merles took command of Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island on July 2, relieving Col. Luke Watson, during a ceremony in Florida. Merles will lead more than 1,200 service members, government civilians and defense contractors at the hub of the Marine Corps’ prepositioning programs. Blount Island Command supports Marine expeditionary forces worldwide during military exercises and contingency operations, from combat to humanitarian.

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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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Blount Island Marines Achieve Rapid Offload, Boosting Global Readiness - U.S. Marine Corps Maritime Prepositioning Force assets from the United States Naval Ship Seay (T-AKR 302) Roll off from the stern ramp in preparation for the Maritime Prepositioning Force Maintenance Cycle (MMC) 14 at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island. The Maritime Prepositioning Force Maintenance Cycle (MMC) is a routine process for maintaining and replenishing the equipment and supplies carried by Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS). It ensures the MPS remain ready for deployment and are equipped with the necessary supplies for operations. The cycle typically lasts 42 to 45 days per ship and involves checking the serviceability of the equipment and replenishing stocks.

Blount Island Marines Achieve Rapid Offload, Boosting Global Readiness

Marines, civilians and contractors at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida beat expectations April 23 by offloading a nearly 300-meter-long cargo ship in under 12 hours. This rapid offload of a cargo ship, typically a multiple-day undertaking, showcased Blount Island Command’s role in the Marine Corps' global rapid response capabilities, including the swift deployment of a maritime prepositioning force.

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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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Marines at Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority - Eduardo Jose Aliño, chairman and administrator of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, discusses port operations Feb. 3 with U.S. Marine Corps Col. Luke Watson. Watson, commanding officer of Blount Island Command, visited Aliño’s office in Subic Bay Freeport Zone to discuss efficiencies needed for a sustainable logistics node. Blount Island Command plans to stage humanitarian aid and disaster relief equipment for the Indo-Pacific region. Part of the Marine Corps’ global prepositioning network, the ashore program will include engineering, communications and motor transportation assets. Aliño, a Philippine presidential appointee tasked with leading social and economic development in the zone, expressed support for efficient equipment transport at the bay located northwest of Manila. Blount Island Command, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is the hub for Marine Corps prepositioning programs, including afloat squadrons and ashore sites.

Marines Discuss Subic Bay for Humanitarian Aid, Disaster Relief Program

Eduardo Jose Aliño, chairman and administrator of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, discussed port operations Feb. 3 with U.S. Marine Corps Col. Luke Watson.

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