U.S. sailors demonstrate a simulated medical emergency during a humanitarian aid and disaster relief response drill in support of Freedom Banner at Kin Blue Beach, Okinawa, Japan, on June 24, 2026. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes)
KIN BLUE BEACH, Okinawa — U.S. Marines and Navy sailors at this training ground on Wednesday demonstrated how their temporary port would deliver aid and medical care on remote islands where the local infrastructure is out of commission.
The III Marine Expeditionary Force and Maritime Pre-Positioning Ship Squadron 3 conducted the one-day Exercise Freedom Banner, featuring a static display of capabilities available during a humanitarian aid or disaster relief mission.
The exercise was also scheduled to include a ship-to-shore equipment transfer that was canceled due to rough seas.
The annual exercise is taking place in Japan for the first time, Capt. Trevor Deckard with III MEF’s command element told Stars and Stripes after the demonstration.
The maritime prepositioning ship USNS 1st Lt. Jack Lummus arrived June 13 in Kin Bay in preparation for the exercise, according to a June 15 news release from Military Sealift Command Far East. The ship was anchored offshore during the demonstration Wednesday.
Marines and sailors are rehearsing their ability to deliver personnel, emergency supplies and equipment for humanitarian aid “when infrastructure ashore has been damaged or destroyed,” Brig. Gen. Ryan Hoyle, deputy commander of III MEF, told reporters before the tour.
“This capability could come in … and put in a temporary port that can allow those supplies to be delivered across the beach to the communities where they’re most needed and most in need of that supply,” he said.
The exercise follows Typhoon Jangmi, which passed over Okinawa on June 1 as the first major storm to strike the island in nearly three years.
Meanwhile Typhoon Mekkhala is bearing down on the island. It is expected to come within 40 miles of Kadena Air Base by 5 a.m. Friday with 60 mph sustained winds and 75 mph gusts, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Lance Cpl. Tyson Johnson with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 explains how the lightweight water purification system uses reverse osmosis to purify seawater during Exercise Freedom Banner at Kin Blue Beach, Okinawa, Japan, on June 24, 2026. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes)
“Anyone that’s watching the typhoon warning that’s upon us, I think that’s the exact piece” that the exercise is preparing for, Hoyle said.
The exercise is separate from Resolute Dragon, the Marines’ annual joint drill with Japan taking place through Tuesday, III MEF spokesman 1st Lt. Tyler Thomas told Stars and Stripes.
Local leaders including Ambassador Masahiko Kiya with the Ministry of Affairs’ Okinawa Liaison Office, Okinawa Defense Bureau director Masaru Murai and members of the Japan Self-Defense Force also observed the displays and were scheduled to tour the Lummus.
Nine displays set up on the beach showcased capabilities from medical support to feeding troops assisting in a humanitarian aid mission.
Brig. Gen. Ryan Hoyle, deputy commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, speaks with local media prior about humanitarian and disaster relief equipment during Exercise Freedom Banner at Kin Blue Beach, Okinawa, Japan, on June 24, 2026. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)
These included a tactical fuel site — two storage bladders each capable of storing 50,000 gallons of JP-8 jet fuel used to supply all vehicles, aircraft and power generators at the site.
In an actual humanitarian assistance situation, three bladders would be set up, Sgt. Shane Lawrence with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 told Stars and Stripes. The amount of time this would last depends on the mission, he added.
Lance Cpl. Tyson Johnson with the support squadron explained how the lightweight water purification system uses reverse osmosis to turn seawater into potable water for drinking, showering and laundry. The machine can fill a 3,000 gallon tank with purified water in 10 hours, he said.
U.S. Marines stationed on Okinawa explain the Tactical Fuel Distribution MK31 Tractor and MK970 Refueler during Exercise Freedom Banner at Kin Blue Beach, Okinawa, Japan, on June 24, 2026. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)
Stars and Stripes reporter Ryan Breeden contributed to this report.
