Maritime prepositioning ship USNS 1st LT Jack Lummus (T-AK 3011) arrived at Kin Bay, Okinawa, Japan, June 13, 2026, to participate in an upcoming logistics display during Exercise Freedom Banner and commence an underway multi-ship training exercise called Group Sail.
Maritime Pre-Positioning Ship Squadron 3 (MPSRON-3), in coordination with III Marine Expeditionary Force, is conducting Freedom Banner/MPSRON-3 Group Sail. This display highlights critical humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) resources.
Freedom Banner highlights the Marine Corps and Navy team’s HA/DR equipment and application in austere environments where ports may be damaged or contested.
The demanding multi-day Group Sail is used to train the ships in interoperability with other ships within the squadron and used to prepare them to work with other U.S. Navy assets and escorts.
Group Sail’s intense schedule focuses on the skill-sets necessary to ensure the safety and security of the Global Military Sealift Command Fleet assets. To improve crew proficiency, the squadron will rehearse formation steaming, emissions control drills, flashing light communications, torpedo evasion and maneuvering tactics, mine avoidance, and anti-submarine tactics.
“The purpose of Group Sail is to demonstrate the strength of MPSRON 3 as an integrated force,” said Capt. Michael G. Mortensen, commodore, MPSRON 3. “By training together at sea, we sharpen our readiness, enhance interoperability, and reaffirm our commitment to deliver reliable logistics support to III MEF, the Fleet and Joint Force. We sail together so we can respond together as one MPSRON 3 team.”
MPSRON 3 operates in the Western Pacific and maintains tactical control of 10 ships carrying afloat prepositioned U.S. military cargo for the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Air Force. The squadron’s mission is to enable force from the sea by providing swift and effective transportation of vital equipment and supplies for designated operations.