Exercise Valiant Mark 2025 successfully concluded on March 26, 2025, at the SAFTI City training facility in Singapore. The exercise showcased a collaboration between U.S. Marines from Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) and Singaporean Guardsmen from the 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards, 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade. This 10-day event focused on enhancing interoperability between the forces and military operations in urban settings.
The U.S. Marines from the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, who are part of MRF-SEA, joined their Singaporean counterparts in activities including operational planning, intelligence integration, and live-fire exercises. A significant aspect of the exercise was a platoon exchange, in which U.S. and Singaporean forces integrated at the platoon level during field training.
"Our partnership has developed over nearly 60 years and has been built on shared values of peace, security, and stability,” expressed U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm, commanding general for I Marine Expeditionary Force.
The exercise reached its peak with a combined assault on SAFTI City, a new high-tech urban training facility. The troops managed to successfully clear the facility, confirming their capability to operate 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," commented Singapore Guardsman Capt. Zane Chi, commanding officer of Charlie Company, 3 GDS.
Plans are already in place for the next iteration of Exercise Valiant Mark, which is set to occur at Camp Pendleton, California, further fostering the interoperability achieved during this year's exercise.