Photos

MRF-D surges forward as the stand-in MAGTF

250829-M-LO454-1755 U.S. Navy Petty Officer Second Class Austin Washington, an aviation boatswain mate handler, directs an MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 363, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3, for landing aboard the expeditionary sea base USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 29, 2025. For the first time in the rotation’s history, the MRF-D Marine Air-Ground Task Force's Aviation and Ground Combat Elements embarked aboard a U.S. Navy vessel to extend operational reach and provide flexible, combat-credible options across the Indo-Pacific. MRF-D is an annual six-month rotational deployment to enhance interoperability with the Australian Defence Force and allies and partners and provide a forward postured crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific. Washington is a native of California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Angelina Sara)