Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
NORTHERN LUZON, Philippines — Exercise Balikatan 25, the 40th iteration of the long-standing annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military, has officially concluded. As U.S. Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Australian Defence Force, and Japanese Self-Defense Force servicemembers, along with those from 16 observer nations, begin retrograding from the Philippines, the U.S. Marines with 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, look forward to an extended stay. At the invitation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the forward-deployed Marines with 3d MLR will remain in the Philippines for Exercise Kamandag 9, scheduled to commence May 26 and run until June 6, 2025.