U.S. Marines assigned to Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA), I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF), and Royal Malaysian Armed Forces service members begin developing courses of action during a rapid response planning process event as part of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Malaysia 2025 at Lumut Naval Base, in Lumut, Malaysia, Dec. 7, 2025. This year marks the 31st iteration of CARAT, a multinational exercise series designed to enhance U.S. and partner navies’ abilities to operate together in response to traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Luis Agostini)