From left to right, U.S. Marine Corps Maj. David Harris, the air officer of Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia, I Marine Expeditionary Force, a U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command, and a Philippine Air Force airman assigned to the 710th Special Operations Wing, observe a call for fire during a bomber live drop exercise at Crow Valley Gunnery Range, Philippines, Feb. 2, 2026. US Marine Corps photo
The U.S. Marine Corps is extending the deployment of Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) to the Philippines to focus on cooperation with the country’s military, according to a Tuesday announcement.
The extension departs from the unit’s standard rotational deployment which takes MRF-SEA to Southeast Asia for six months from October to late March. A new command element from I Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) has rotated in to conduct a focused effort in the Philippines, integrating Marine Corps forces in support of Task Force-Philippines, reads the U.S. Marine Corps news release.
“This next rotation of MRF-SEA continues at the invitation of the government of the Philippines and is aligned with the Philippine-led Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept. Complementing Task Force-Philippines’ focus on bilateral coordination at the joint and strategic level, MRF-SEA operates at the operational level as the Marine Corps’ forward, rotational force – integrated with Philippine forces to synchronize capabilities and enable crisis response,” reads the release.
MRF SEA, which falls under the I MEF, began deploying in 2023 as a scalable task force. The unit includes a command team drawn from I MEF’s Marine Expeditionary Units with supporting command and control, reconnaissance, sensing and air naval gunfire elements. Additional Marine Corps units – such as infantry, armor, artillery and air elements – deploy based on the deployment needs. The core MRF-SEA element usually moves from country to country, though the current rotation, headed by the 15th MEU, has been operating out of the Philippines.
In previous years, MRF-SEA and MRF-Darwin (MRF-D), also under I MEF, would alternate their presence in the Indo-Pacific with MRF-D deploying to Australia from April to October when MRF-SEA wrapped its deployment.
It is unclear how long the current MRF-SEA deployment will extend.
U.S. Marines assigned to Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia, I Marine Expeditionary Force, prepare to disembark a CMV-22B Osprey attached to Fleet Multi-Mission Support Squadron (VRM) 30, at Clark Air Base, Philippines, after their visit to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73), Nov. 24, 2025. US Marine Corps photo
Extending MRF-SEA’s time in the Philippines, according to the release, will deepen integration and advance interoperability by training shoulder-to-shoulder with the Philippine Marine Corps and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), with a focus on strengthening the Philippines’ defensive capabilities.
“This iteration of MRF-SEA reflects a deliberate shift from presence to presence with purpose. We are integrating with the AFP to strengthen combined capabilities, enable faster response in crisis, and contribute to a credible, forward posture in the Indo-Pacific. Our alliance is not symbolic – it is operational, historic and built to endure,” incoming commander Col. Robert Bunn said in the release.
MRF-SEA’s integration with Philippine forces will be demonstrated through bilateral exercises, including Balikatan 26, KAMANDAG 10 and Marine Aviation Support Activity 26.
Under the 15th MEU, MRF-SEA has demonstrated its regional presence by participating in major exercises, such as Cooperation Afloat Readiness Training Brunei, CARAT Malaysia, and in Indonesia at Exercise Bhakti Kayini AUSINDO 25.
While in the field, Marines and sailors worked alongside the Philippine Marine Corps during exercises Sama Sama 25 and Marine Air Support Activity 25. Together, the forces conducted four simulated maritime strikes and worked to improve information-sharing between the two allied countries.
In early November, MRF-SEA rapidly transitioned from training to real-world humanitarian assistance. Following typhoons Fung-Wong and Kalmaegi, MRF-SEA helped lead the U.S. response to support the Philippine government’s disaster relief operations. The unit helped coordinate nearly 500 U.S. service members and dozens of aircraft to deliver 10,000 family food packs to heavily impacted communities in the Catanduanes region.
“It has been a profound honor for the Marines and sailors of the 15th MEU to serve alongside our steadfast partners in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand. Especially in the Philippines, we have enhanced our combined readiness and deepened the personal and professional bonds that are the bedrock of our Alliance. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished in this region since October and am confident that the incoming force will continue to build on our critical Alliance,” Col. Robb McDonald, the outgoing commander of MRF-SEA, said in the release.
Despite exiting from command of MRF-SEA, the 15th MEU still has elements operating in the region under Task Force Ashland, a forward-deployed force of U.S. Marines and sailors aboard amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48).
“TF Ashland is a flexible, forward-deployed crisis response force led by the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Purpose-built to integrate with Allies and partners, TF Ashland supports a free and open Indo-Pacific by providing immediate response capabilities for any contingency,” reads a Pentagon image release.