MRF-SEA Marines and S'pore Guards Conclude Valiant Mark 25, Conquer SAFTI City Training Facility

Photo By Staff Sgt. Dana Beesley | U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia and Singapore Guardsmen with 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards, 7th Singapore Infantry Battalion, conduct a call-for-fire mission during the field training exercise for Valiant Mark 25 at SAFTI City training facility, Singapore, March 27, 2025. SAFTI City, the premier urban training facility in Southeast Asia, is one of the largest and most technologically advanced facilities of its kind in the world. U.S. Marines with MRF-SEA was the first foreign partner force to train at the facility during Valiant Mark 25. Valiant Mark is an annual, bilateral training exercise designed to enhance interoperability, build mutual defense capabilities, and strengthen military-to-military relationships between the U.S. Marine Corps and Singapore Armed Forces. MRF-SEA is a rotational unit derived from elements of I MEF executing a U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific operational model that involves training events and exchanges with partner military subject matter experts, promotes security goals with allied and partner nations, and ensures a persistent I MEF stand-in presence west of the international date line. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Dana Beesley)  

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE

03.31.2025

Story by Capt. Mark McDonough 

Marine Rotational Force - Southeast Asia

MRF-SEA PRESS RELEASE

SINGAPORE – Exercise Valiant Mark 2025 concluded on March 26, 2025, at SAFTI City training facility in Singapore, demonstrating the strong partnership between U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA), and Singapore Guardsmen with 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards, 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade. The 10-day exercise focused on interoperability between forces and military operations in urban terrain.

U.S. Marines from 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, attached to MRF-SEA, trained alongside their Singaporean counterparts, participating in operational planning, intelligence integration, and live-fire training. A key component of the exercise was a platoon exchange, integrating U.S. and Singaporean forces at the platoon level during the field training exercise.

“Our partnership has developed over nearly 60 years and has been built on shared values of peace, security, and stability,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm, the commanding general for I Marine Expeditionary Force.

This year’s exercise culminated in a combined assault on SAFTI City, a newly commissioned, technologically advanced urban training facility. The combined force successfully cleared the facility, demonstrating their ability to operate effectively in a complex urban environment.

“It was very natural for us to work together; it seemed as if we had been rehearsing together for years,” said Singapore Guardsman Capt. Zane Chi, commanding officer of Charlie Company, 3 GDS.

The next iteration of Exercise Valiant Mark is scheduled to take place at Camp Pendleton, California, continuing to build upon the interoperability achieved during this year’s exercise.

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CONNECTED MEDIA: Read the full story and download imagery and b-roll from Exercise Valiant Mark 2025 at: https://dvidshub.net/r/mtnrha

POINT OF CONTACT:
Capt. Mark McDonough
Communication Strategy & Operations Director
Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia
[phone]
[e-mail]

• Date Taken: 03.31.2025
• Date Posted: 03.30.2025 14:47
• Story ID: 494100
• Location: SINGAPORE, SG