SEPTEMBER 10, 2026 - The U.S. Marine Corps’ last produced AV-8B II+ Harrier traveled to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, for its final mission this July. BuNo 166288 was demilitarized and made safe for display prior to departure by truck from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, and will remain on static display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in … [Read more...]

SEPTEMBER 8, 2026 – The U.S. Marine Corps deploys Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 533, also known as the “Hawks,” an F-35B Lightning II squadron based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, under the Marine Corps’ Unit Deployment Program (UDP) on Sept. 5, 2026. VMFA-533 joins Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12, 1st Marine Aircraft … [Read more...]

SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 - U.S. Marines and Sailors with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 26 officially began Exercise Super Garuda Shield 26 following an opening ceremony held today in Lampung. Exercise Super Garuda Shield 26, scheduled to run until mid-September, is an Indonesian-led, combined joint exercise that takes place across the islands of Sumatra and Java. Since its first … [Read more...]

SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 - As directed by the Secretary of War in an effort to rebuild the Nation’s military, the Marine Corps developed an executable and adaptable growth implementation plan for the next five years to advance the service’s “First to Fight” capstone concept. This growth plan sustains modernization momentum and enables the Corps to continue fielding a globally … [Read more...]

AUGUST 31, 2026 - Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Robert Edward Galer was a fighter pilot during World War II and went on to serve more than 20 years on active duty. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the skies over Guadalcanal in 1942. Galer was born Oct. 23, 1913, in Seattle. He was the youngest son of Frederick George Galer and Mary Loretta Leahy, and he had two … [Read more...]