III Marine Expeditionary Force and Japan’s Western Army concluded exercise Resolute Dragon 24 with a closing ceremony held at Camp Courtney August 7, 2024, on Okinawa, Japan. Resolute Dragon 24 took place across Japan from July 28 – August 7, 2024, to include exercise locations in Chugoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa prefecture.  

Resolute Dragon 24 was the fourth iteration of the bilateral exercise hosted by III MEF and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Western Army and featured both U.S. and Japan joint units rehearsing operations over key maritime terrain to strengthen their command, control, and multi-domain maneuver capabilities.

“Exercise Resolute Dragon 24 further strengthened the coordination and complimentary capabilities of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and U.S. Marine Corps,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Roger B. Turner, Commanding General of III Marine Expeditionary Force. “Through training and bilateral exercises like Resolute Dragon 24, the allied force is better prepared to win in a contemporary conflict.” 

Approximately 3,000 U.S. Marines and Sailors from III MEF trained alongside their counterparts from the Western Army, various units from the Japan Self-Defense Force, and the U.S. Joint Force, to rehearse and strengthen their multi-domain maneuver capabilities and combined arms integration.

Resolute Dragon 24 included training events such as the deployment of a AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar to Yonaguni, bilateral training with U.S. MV-22 and Japanese V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, medical and logistics capabilities, and force-on-force and live-fire training in multiple locations.

“Increasing lethality through bilateral coordination is essential for developing a stand-in force,” said Turner. “Our partnership enhances the allied force’s ability to fight anywhere, and win. Resolute Dragon 24 allowed us to practice joint command, control, and multi-domain maneuver capabilities essential for crisis response.”

​Exercises like RD 24 strengthen the bilateral operational capabilities and interoperability between the U.S. Marine Corps and JSDF, with an emphasis on air-ground integration and combined arms live-fire training. III MEF’s coordination and collaboration with the JSDF is a leading effort in both countries’ shared vision of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.