U.S. Marines Demonstrate Aviation Support Capabilities With South Korean Forces

A U.S. Marine unit based in Japan has demonstrated aviation ground support and logistics capabilities during a readiness evaluation session with South Korean Marines, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Wednesday. The Marine Wing Support Squadron 174, affiliated with the III Marine Expeditionary Force and based in Japan, conducted the combat readiness assessment with South Korean troops from March 14 to April 19 during the annual Korean Marine Exercise Program, or KMEP, exercise, according to the command.

The training took place this year. During the sessions the U.S. Marine forces worked alongside South Korean Marines to establish mobile sites that allow aircraft to be quickly refueled and rearmed in austere environments. The U.S. Marines also carried out intensive firefighting drills at Kunsan Air Base in the southwestern city of Gunsan to practice coordinated responses to simulated aircraft mishaps.

The two forces participated in a comprehensive mass casualty exercise designed to test the troops' ability to provide immediate medical triage and evacuation under simulated combat conditions, the command said in a release.

Training Details Troops from the U.S.

Marine Wing Support Squadron 174 explained a filter separator system to airmen with the 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron at the U.S. air base in Gunsan on March 15, 2026, according to a photo uploaded on the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.

The annual KMEP exercise is a longstanding program between South Korean and U.S. Marine units. A related Yonhap report noted that the two forces were scheduled to hold additional annual joint military drills the following month.