By SDCN Staff
Camp Pendleton, CA–U.S. Marines and Sailors with I Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. 3rd Fleet, and the U.S. Air Force’s 10th Air Force will conduct Exercise Steel Knight 25 across military installations and training areas in Southern California and Arizona from December 1 to 14.
Steel Knight 2025 is a scenario-driven, mission rehearsal exercise led by the 1st Marine Division designed to certify the 5th Marine Regiment in the planning, deployment, and command and control of Marines in preparation for the next Marine Rotational Force – Darwin. The exercise enhances readiness, sharpens kill-web-enabled decision-making, and demonstrates to allies that I MEF remains the partner of choice.
“Complex, realistic scenarios like the ones we will throw at our Marines and Sailors during Steel Knight 2025, prepare 1st Marine Division and supporting units for contested environments and sustained campaigning,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas Savage, commanding general, 1st Marine Division. “What Steel Knight 2025 will show is that Marines and Sailors remain I MEF’s decisive advantage, executing complex tasks with discipline, creativity, and professionalism.”
Steel Knight began in 1991 as an annual exercise conducted at the tank battalion level. In 2005, they began serving as pre-deployment training for the 1st Marine Division in preparation for Operation Enduring Freedom and focused on the types of counterinsurgency operations being conducted in Afghanistan. In 2012, Steel Knight returned to a division-level exercise that focused on conventional operations and the Marine Corps’ core competencies.
Steel Knight strengthens the Navy-Marine Corps team’s ability to respond forward, integrate across domains, and sustain Marine Air-Ground Task Force readiness.
