Philippine and U.S. service members with the Combined Joint Civil-Military Operations Task Force conduct a humanitarian civic assistance mission in support of Exercise Balikatan 24 in the Philippines, March 26 - May 9, 2024. Over 23,000 Filipinos spanning five provinces benefited from HCA’s civil-military engagements, engineering civic action projects, and community health engagements. BK 24 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Sgt. Luc Boatman)

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Michael T. Aldridge, right, the incoming commanding officer of 1st Civil Affairs Group, Marine Corps Forces Reserves, passes the colors to Sgt. Maj. Robert K. Lusk, left, the sergeant major of 1st CAG, during a change of command ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, May 18, 2024. A change of command ceremony is a military tradition that represents a formal transfer of authority and responsibility for a unit from one commanding officer to another. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mhecaela J. Watts)

U.S. Marine Col. David Fennell, commanding officer of the 1st Civil Affairs Group and Philippine Air Force Col. Arman Mampusti, head of the civil military relations division, discuss civil affairs and the Combined Joint Civil Military Task Force during Exercise Balikatan 24 at Camp Aguinaldo, Philippines, April 29, 2024. BK 24 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. (U.S. Air Force video by Airman 1st Class Spencer Perkins)

U.S. Marine Corps Col. David J. Fennell, Commander of the Combined Joint Civil-Military Operations Task Force, engages with Alannay Elementary School teachers and students during a school engagement in support of Balikatan 24 at Alannay Elementary School in Lasam, Cagayan, Philippines, April 26, 2024.BK 24 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Trent A. Henry)

Philippine Army Cpl. Marvin G. Maramba, right, a welder with the 548th Engineer Construction Battalion, 51st Engineering Brigade, speaks to U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Owen McGeary, an engineer officer with the 557th Engineer Construction Company, 555th Engineer Brigade, during the construction of a barangay healthcare center as part of an engineering civic action project before Exercise Balikatan 24 at Davila Elementary School in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, April 18, 2024. BK 24 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Trent A. Henry)

U.S. Marine Corps Col. David J. Fennell, Commander Combined Joint Civil-Military Operations Task Force, speaks with Philippine and U.S. service members of the Community Health Engagement team during Humanitarian Civic Assistance in support of Balikatan 24 in Cagayan, Philippines, April 26, 2024. BK 24 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Trent A. Henry)

U.S. Marines with 1st Civil Affairs Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, participate in a field exercise at Camp Pendleton, California, Feb.1-2, 2024. 1st CAG participated in an annual field training exercise, which covered doctrinal civil affairs core tasks in preparation for Balikatan 24. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Dean Gurule)

U.S. Marines with 1st Civil Affairs Group, Force Headquarters Group, Marine Forces Reserve, take a group photo while conducting a civil recon, at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 2, 2024. Marines of 1st CAG conducted Civil-Military Operations and Civil Affairs Operations during its Field Exercise 24 in order to ensure readiness and preparation for upcoming exercises. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Maj. Heather Brewer)

United States Marine Corps Maj. Wesley Ward, a civil affairs officer with 1st Civil Affairs Group, talks with field grade officers with the Indonesian Armed Forces during the exercise Super Garuda Shield 23 (SGS2023) in Surabaya, Indonesia, Sept 6, 2023. SGS2023 is an annual exercise that has significantly grown in scope and size since 2009. SGS2023 is the second consecutive time this exercise has grown into a combined and joint event, highlighting the seven participating and 12 observing nations' commitment to partnership and a free and open Indo-Pacific. (United States Marine Corps photo)

United States Marine Corps Staff. Sgt. Igor Neves, a civil affairs planner with 1st Civil Affairs Group, is awarded for his performance during Exercise Bersama Warrior 23 at the Joint Warfighting Center on Malaysian Armed Forces Headquarters, Kuantan, Padang, Malaysia June 15, 2023. This year marked the ninth iteration of Bersama Warrior, an annual bilateral joint exercise sponsored by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and hosted by the Malaysian Armed Forces aimed to enhance the U.S. and Malaysian defense readiness and improve interoperability. The staff exercise challenged participating personnel with planning and coordinating several missions using the military decision-making process and Multi-National Forces standard operating procedures. (United States Marine Corps photo)

United States Marine Corps Capt. Christophe Coulon with 1st Civil Affairs Group, attached to Special Operations Task Force 511.2, speaks to students at the Ateno de Zamboanga University forum in Zamboanga, Philippines Oct. 26, 2022. Marines with 1st CAG provided current information about the US, focusing on policies, society, history, and culture, providing access to these resources, not just to students at the host university, but to visiting academics, and members of the local community. (United States Marine Corps photo)