Operation Allies Welcome

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Leonard F. Anderson IV, right, Duluth, Minnesota native, commander of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces South, walks with Lt. Col. Davis Gooding, left, Richmond, Virginia native, commanding officer for H&S Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, during an adversarial force exercise at Marine Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, Dec. 2, 2024. Anderson met with leadership to discuss the unit’s upcoming deployment to Okinawa, Japan, in support of the Marine Corps’ Unit Deployment Program. The AFX is the primary readiness-building event prior to the deployment and an opportunity to receive training across all warfighting functions in a realistic and fully resourced environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Madisyn Paschal)