The Valiant Mark, an annual exercise conducted by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Singapore Armed Forces, wrapped up Wednesday at the SAFTI City training facility in Singapore, with next year's exercise expected to take place at Camp Pendleton, military officials announced Sunday.
The 10-day exercise was designed "to maintain a high level of interoperability, enhanced military to military relations and to enrich mutual combat capabilities through combined training."
Officials said the exercise demonstrated the strong partnership between the U.S. Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia, Singapore Guardsmen, 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards and 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade.
"Our partnership has developed over nearly 60 years and has been built on shared values of peace, security, and stability," U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm, the commanding general for I Marine Expeditionary Force, said in a statement.
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This year's exercise resulted in a combined assault on SAFTI City, a newly commissioned, technologically advanced urban training facility. The combined force successfully cleared the facility, demonstrating its ability to operate effectively in a complex urban environment, according to a statement from Marine officials.
A key component of the exercise was a platoon exchange, integrating U.S. and Singaporean forces at the platoon level during the field training exercise, officials said.
"It was very natural for us to work together; it seemed as if we had been rehearsing together for years," said Singapore Guardsman Capt. Zane Chi, commanding officer of Charlie Company.
