U.S. Marines Practice Logistics from the Sea Across the Philippines Ahead of Balikatan

U.S. forces debuted a new logistical method across the Southeast Asian archipelago using new facilities and civilian barges to position forces ahead of Balikatan 2026. Military Sealift Command vessel USNS Sgt. William W. Seay (T-AKR 302) docked last month in the Port of Cagayan de Oro to conduct the first-ever offloading of American maritime prepositioning force equipment on the Southern Philippine Island of Mindanao. Equipment slated for the I Marine Expeditionary Force was delivered by Sgt. William W. Seay using local port facilities. Personnel involved in the operation included a varied team of service personnel and civilian contractors from both