Overview
- Gen. Xavier T. Brunson visited the Five Hills Training Center on Tuesday, June 30, where he met South Korean Marines and observed multinational training including counter-unmanned aerial system drills.
- Brunson urged troops to value the work they do together, saying, “Don’t let anybody ever tell you that this does not matter, because it absolutely does,” to emphasize alliance cohesion and shared purpose.
- Khaan Quest 2026 runs from June 20 to July 3 and brings together more than 1,000 personnel from roughly 18 countries to practice peace support operations such as humanitarian response and civilian protection under the U.N. Charter.
- The commander highlighted practical partnership projects at the site, pointing to road and infrastructure improvements as tangible examples of cooperation that leave local facilities better than they were found.
- What began as a bilateral Mongolia–U.S. exercise two decades ago has grown into a regional forum for capacity building that boosts interoperability, deterrence and crisis-response skills among Pacific allies and partners.