Photos by Cpl. Angel Serna, US Department of Defense.

Multilateral armed forces came together during final military operations for Exercise Tafakula on Tongatapu from September 9-11 that included security patrols and seeking mock enemy in difficult terrain.

His Majesty’s Armed Forces of Tonga and U.S. Marines with Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, conducted patrol-based operations and platoon-level attacks with troops from the New Zealand Defence Force, the French Army of New Caledonia and the Tongan Royal Guards during their culminating event for Exercise Tafakula on Tongatapu.

"The goal of our training here with multiple classes and events conducted was to simply train with allied forces…It's vital that we know our allies in all aspects of training," said 1st Lt. Christopher Adamski, weapons platoon commander with Company B.

“We conducted a 72-hour tactical scenario that comprised of four maneuver platoons, patrolling within different areas of operation throughout the island,” he said.

Leading up to the final event, the different militaries hosted classes and demonstrations to exchange each other’s battle drills, standard operating procedures and capabilities. The final operation brought the multilateral forces together to conduct a combined company-level attack against a platoon-sized defensive position.

In addition to the military training, the Marines contributed to school clean-ups and other constructive projects.