Members of I Marine Expeditionary Force unload military vehicles at the Port of Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, March 14, 2026. (Nicholas Martinez/U.S. Marine Corps)
The U.S. Marine Corps has for the first time sent prepositioned military equipment to the southern Philippine island of Mindanao ahead of a major joint exercise later this month.
The annual Balikatan exercise — Tagalog for “shoulder to shoulder” — is scheduled to begin April 20 and run through late May, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency. The drills are typically held at multiple locations across the country.
Participation numbers have not been announced, but last year’s exercise included about 10,000 U.S. troops and 6,000 personnel from the Philippines, Australia and Japan.
The equipment movement was announced Wednesday by Blount Island Command, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based Marine unit that oversees prepositioned gear worldwide.
The cargo ship USNS Seay delivered equipment for the I Marine Expeditionary Force to the port of Cagayan de Oro on Mindanao last month, according to a command news release.
The offload marked the first time the unit has delivered prepositioned equipment to the island, according to Robert Hazlett, the contracting officer’s technical representative for the command.
Members of I Marine Expeditionary Force track equipment at the Port of Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, March 14, 2026. (Nicholas Martinez/U.S. Marine Corps)
“Bringing this capability into a new location like Mindanao shows how we can extend the network, using what’s already here, working with partners and still deliver ready-to-issue equipment where it’s needed,” he said in the release.
The operation required coordination with the U.S. Navy, the Philippine military and commercial port operators, the command said.
Marine Corps officials say the practice allows forces to rapidly access equipment, including vehicles, communications gear and sustainment supplies stored aboard cargo ships.
Prepositioning provides “critical combat power to Marine air-ground task force commanders,” Col. Coby Moran, the I Marine Expeditionary Force officer overseeing the Mindanao offload, said in the release.
After arriving in Mindanao, the equipment was transferred to commercial barges and moved to Subic Bay on the main island of Luzon, where it will be issued to troops participating in Balikatan.
The Marine Corps opened a supply depot at Subic Bay last year, according to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
Officials have said the site is intended to support humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions and will not store ammunition.
