COMMANDER, U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, PACIFIC, VISITS AUSTRALIA

Photo By Cpl. Cedar Barnes | U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder, commander of Marine Forces Pacific, gives a speech to Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 Reinforced, Marine Rotational Force Darwin 22, at Royal Australian Air Force Base, Darwin, NT, Australia, March 25, 2022. Gen. Rudder spoke about the U.S. and Australia’s commitment to continuing the long standing tradition of global alliance and security cooperation. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Cedar Barnes)  

CAMP H. M. SMITH, HAWAII, UNITED STATES

03.29.2022

Story by Sgt. Brett Norman 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific

COMMANDER, U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, PACIFIC, VISITS AUSTRALIA

CAMP H.M. SMITH, HAWAII – (March 23, 2022) U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Steven R. Rudder, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, met with members of the Australian Defence Force and U.S. Marines during a visit to Canberra and to Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, Mar. 19-26, 2022.
The purpose of Rudder’s visit to Australia was to strengthen relationships with key foreign military leaders and engage with U.S. and partner forces on rotation in the region.
In addition to meeting with his counterparts from the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the Royal Australian Navy, Rudder gave a keynote address to the annual meeting of the Williams Foundation Seminar.
The event assessed Australian progress in evolving the Australian Defence Force, incorporating fifth generation aircraft and identifying industry opportunities to build more lethal and survivable air and space capabilities. Rudder’s address highlighted the modern, interconnected nature of the battlefield, where infantry Marines in distributed maritime fighting positions are connected to all manners of platforms, from F-35s to naval ships at sea. Bilateral training exercises and engagements such as the annual rotation of Marines to Darwin, in Australia’s Northern Territory, provide vital opportunities for the two allies to improve their coordination, increase their collective capabilities and advance their interoperability.
"Two-thirds of the Fleet Marine Force operates within the Indo-Pacific, and MRF-D is a critical part of that structure," said General Rudder, who leads all Marine Corps efforts in the Indo-Pacific theater. "The modernization of the ADF can show us what we need to succeed in the region. For both of us, this is a very close alliance, and if we have to react somewhere in the world this formation just might be the team to do it."
While on travel in Australia, both Rudder and Adm. John C. Aquilino, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, visited the Marines and Sailors comprising the 11th iteration of Marine Rotational Force-Darwin. The annual six-month rotation increases interoperability between the two forces and provides U.S. Indo-Pacific Command with a forward-deployed force-in-readiness within the region.
The deeply rooted U.S.-Australian alliance is recognized as a pillar for peace and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region, and is strengthened through bilateral engagements, training evolutions, and exercises such as MRF-D. The iron-clad alliance ensures that the Indo-Pacific will remain free and open.
- 30 -

Media queries can be directed via e-mail to [e-mail]

• Date Taken: 03.29.2022
• Date Posted: 03.29.2022 18:18
• Story ID: 417417
• Location: CAMP H. M. SMITH, HAWAII, US