The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) commenced Exercise Valiant Mark 2024 in a ceremony today at Bedok Camp, Singapore. The combined U.S.-Singapore force will continue Valiant Mark 24 training through Dec. 13, focusing heavily on increasing interoperability between forces and building a sense of partnership among personnel.
Valiant Mark 24 is an annual, bilateral exercise between the SAF and Marines from I Marine Expeditionary Force conducted to cultivate a more cohesive and responsive partnership with our Singaporean counterparts, reinforcing our collective ability to respond to crisis or contingency in the Indo-Pacific as a combined and unified force. Each iteration of Valiant Mark directly supports the strategic partnership between our two nations.
“The United States and Singapore enjoy a robust and enduring security partnership, and this annual exercise, which dates back to the 1980s, is a testament to our shared commitment to regional peace and stability and to a free and open Indo-Pacific that allows all of us to prosper,” said Jesse Shaw, the spokesperson for U.S. Embassy Singapore.
Exercise Valiant Mark 2023 took place in October of last year aboard the U.S. Marine Corps’ Camp Pendleton in California. The major units involved were the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (13th MEU) and the 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade (7 SIB). Since October 2024, MRF-SEA has been primarily comprised of personnel from the 13th MEU, meaning that many of the same Marines are now training alongside Singapore forces again in this year’s iteration of the exercise.
“MRF-SEA Marines and Sailors are primed and ready to execute Valiant Mark 24 in Singapore to build on the strong foundation established with our SAF partners during last year’s exercise aboard Camp Pendleton,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Stuart W. Glenn, the commanding officer of MRF-SEA. “Our strategic partnership with Singapore is critical to upholding the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific, and I’m confident that this Valiant Mark will further enhance our combined capabilities and readiness.”
Exercise Valiant Mark has served as a command-post staff exercise, utilizing alternating training locations in Singapore and the United States, since its inception in the mid-2000s. Building upon U.S.-Singapore military engagements originating in the 1980s, this annual training event has established a unique platform for U.S. Marines to engage with their Singaporean counterparts, further solidifying the two nations’ enduring security partnership.
“Over more than two decades, Exercise Valiant Mark has transformed into a significant exercise that has advanced our combined operational capabilities, improved our interoperability, and refined our skills across various tactical scenarios,” said SAF Senior Lieutenant Colonel Enriquez Michael Zachary, commander of the 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade. “In addition, this exercise will serve as a platform to forge friendships that will last far beyond this exercise.”
Valiant Mark 24 will bring together personnel from the SAF, including 7 SIB and its subordinate unit, 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards (3 GDS), and U.S. forces from MRF-SEA, including attached personnel from 1st Battalion, 5th Marines and 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines of the 1st Marine Division.
