KIN BLUE TRAINING AREA, Okinawa, Japan – From 10-19 Feb., 2026, U.S. Marines with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, completed a demanding series of missions at the Kin Blue Training Area that forged the unit’s proficiency executing intricate operations under circumstances that are deliberately challenging.
Over the span of just over a week, the Marines conducted a variety of scenario-based missions consisting of a boat raid, setting up a security defense, and a small arms squad attack, all beginning with a launch from the sea.
“The boats are our lifeline, our ability to project power from the sea to any shore, regardless of whether there’s a port. This week, they enabled us to establish a rapid presence and secure a beachhead,” said 1st Sgt. Matthew Burns, the senior enlisted advisor for India Co BLT 3/1. “It was vital for us to secure the beach right away. This allowed troops and supplies to land safely, creating a secure base for future actions.”
The week-long evaluation validated the 31st MEU’s capability to execute rapid response planning, and demonstrated the unit’s ability to rapidly respond to any crisis in the INDOPACIFIC region.
“This exercise proved our boat company can launch from over the horizon, hit the beach, and win the fight,” said Burns. “It solidifies our trust in each other and our gear, knowing we can be called upon at a moment’s notice and execute flawlessly as a team.”
The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, permanently positioned to provide a flexible and lethal force, ready to operate with our allies and partners, to contribute to deterrence, security, crisis response, and combat operations in the Indo-Pacific region.
AloJapan.com