The Indonesian Marine Corps and its U.S. counterpart jointly participated in the Indonesian Reconnaissance Exercise (RECONEX) held in Antralina, Jampang Tengah, Sukabumi Regency, West Java, on April 24-May 10, 2024.
RECONEX, a bilateral exercise by the Indonesian and U.S. Marine Corps, serves as a platform to promote military interoperability and maritime domain awareness capabilities while strengthening relationships between the participating forces.
During this year’s RECONEX, some 20 U.S. Marines joined forces with 120 Indonesian Marines in a series of joint training activities. The focus was on refining advanced skills such as combat marksmanship, scout sniper capabilities, small boat operations, ground reconnaissance patrols, amphibious reconnaissance operations, military free-fall training, tactical communication, close air support coordination, and tactical combat casualty care.
Captain Ethan Hamilton, Company Commander of Alpha Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, of the U.S.’s 1st Marine Division, emphasized the significance of RECONEX in fostering mutual trust and commitment between the two highly specialized units.
“RECONEX 24 showcased the shared excellence between distinct forces, highlighting the unity in diversity that defines our partnership and Indonesia,” he said.
This year’s exercise aimed to bolster the reconnaissance capabilities of both forces in both hostile and permissive environments. It concluded with team and unit-level exercises, combining tactical discussions and practical applications to demonstrate and further develop collective combat capabilities and camaraderie between the Indonesian and the U.S. Marine Corps.
