THE FRIDAY FOTO (July 21, 2023)

‘NEATH THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brayden Daniel)

A Marine with the U.S. Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 23 (MRF-D), patrols during Exercise Southern Jackaroo 23 in Queensland, Australia on July 1, 2023.

Southern Jackaroo is a trilateral exercise with Marines of the MRF-D, Japanese and Australian troops. Hosted by the Australian Defence Force at the Townsville Field Training Area in Queensland, the exercise focused on improving warfighting tactics at the small-unit level, leading to increases in efficiencies and interoperability among the Marines, the Australians and the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force.

With more than 2,800 participants, the large-scale combat operations training featured a variety of settings — from an archipelago of islands to the near shore littorals and urban terrain — that tested the forces’ offensive and defensive capabilities in a communications-degraded environment, stressing small-unit leadership

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) sent observers.

The Marine pictured above is with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion of the 1st Marine Regiment (Reinforced). The First Marines are part of the storied 1st Marine Division, which includes the stars of the Southern Cross constellation on its diamond shaped shoulder patch with a large numeral one, representing its first divisional battle at Guadalcanal in World War II.