JULY 9, 2025 – The commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific and the Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps will co-host the 11th annual Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium (PALS) in Manila, July 8-10, 2025.
PALS 25 brings together senior Marine Corps, naval infantry, and military leaders from allied and partner nations in the Indo-Pacific. The event is an important opportunity to enhance personal and professional relationships amongst the region’s amphibious and maritime community through face-to-face engagements.
PALS continues to be guided by the motto, “Stronger together,” emphasizing the importance of cooperation and coordination when facing a range of challenges, from natural disasters to complex security situations.
“PALS provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen partnerships across the Indo-Pacific, ensuring that when challenges arise, we’re aligned and ready to act. It’s about building trust, fostering collaboration, and preparing for the complex scenarios we may face. In this region, we know that collective strength is our greatest asset, and through events like PALS, we ensure that we’re ready to respond together, as one.” said Lt. Gen. James Glynn, commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific
PALS provides a forum for amphibious leaders to exchange ideas and share best practices, improving the collective ability to work together across a range of missions and scenarios. The experience and expertise assembled at PALS facilitates collaboration among allies and partners from around the world in support of a free-and-open Indo-Pacific region.
The PALS 25 schedule consists of key leader engagements, panel discussions, and briefs to engage senior leaders on critical topics such as leveraging emerging technologies for littoral operations, logistical challenges in disaster relief missions, and the role of information operations in the modern maritime environment. In addition to these discussions, delegations will present on technology-based solutions for maritime domain awareness and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as amphibious force contributions to multinational security cooperation.
“We are fortunate that the PALS participants bring a wealth of knowledge and diverse experiences, which is a vital asset as we shape our own force development and modernization plans,” said Maj. Gen. Vicente Blanco, Commandant, Philippine Marine Corps. “The Philippines takes pride in co-hosting this distinguished gathering, and as we face future challenges, let us approach them with renewed purpose, strengthened partnerships, and united resolve.”
Established by MARFORPAC in 2015, PALS continues to gather a growing list of nations. Since the symposium’s development, several ally and partner militaries co-hosted, including Japan, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Korea, and for the first time this year, Republic of the Philippines. The growing list of co-hosts demonstrates the depth of commitment among allies and partners to a more capable combined force across the Indo-Pacific.
U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific is the largest operational command in the Marine Corps. Pacific Marines serve as an expeditionary force-in-readiness, and they operate as air-ground-logistics teams and are forward positioned and actively employed throughout the Indo-Pacific every day.
PALS 25 queries can be directed via e-mail to 1st Lt. Shannon O’Neill, MARFORPAC COMMSTRAT, shannon.oneill.mil@usmc.mil. Additional media queries can be directed via e-mail to marforpaccommstrat@usmc.mil. The PALS feature page on DVIDS will provide imagery daily for use and distribution: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PALS.
1st Lt. Shannon ONeill
U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific