Over the Ocean and Into the Fight: 25th Infantry Division Executes Long-Range Maritime Air Assault

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — Flying low over hundreds of miles of open Pacific Ocean, the 25th Infantry Division validated its ability to project combat… SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — Flying low over hundreds of miles of open Pacific Ocean, the 25th Infantry Division validated its ability to project combat power anywhere, at any time. Elements of the 2nd Mobile Brigade, 25th Infantry Division were inserted deep into contested island terrain by the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, executing a massive Long-Range Maritime Air Assault as part of Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) Rotation 27-01. The insertion was followed immediately by rapid resupply heavy drops executed by the 8th Theater Sustainment Command. The assault marks a critical escalation in the continuous, 14-day force-on-force engagement, physically bridging the gap between complex aviation maneuvers over the ocean and the grueling, close-quarters ground combat required to seize and hold volcanic terrain against a near-peer opposing force.

Simultaneously on Oahu, elements of the 2nd Mobile Brigade engaged in heavy, gritty fighting to seize objectives in the Northern Kahuku Training Area to dislodge enemy forces. “Executing a long-range air assault over hundreds of miles of open ocean requires absolute precision and seamless coordination between our aircrews and the infantry,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Dolce, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade. “This