One of the hallmarks of President Barack Obama strategic pivot to the Pacific is the bolstering of our military cooperation with the Australians in Australia.

While the world’s attention is focused on Ukraine, Syria and Gaza, Red China and the ChiComs have serious territorial disputes with Vietnam, South Korea, Philippines, Taiwan and Japan, and have opened overseas naval bases for the first time in centuries.

The question is out there whether our beefing up our presence in Australia is so we can have a base from which we can project military power to support our East Asian allies against Chinese aggression–or, are our forces in Australia to protect that country alone as the last redoubt of Western European influence in the region, while our other allies are swallowed up into the new greater China.

This video shows Marines with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, and Australian Soldiers with the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, assault an enemy position during Exercise Koolendong at Bradshaw Training Area, Aug 21, 2014.

Four Marines with 1st Bn., 5th Marines, were given an opportunity to support elements of the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and 1st Armored Brigade. During Exercise Koolendong 2014, approximately 1500 Marines and Australian Defence Force soldiers undertaking a wide spectrum of infantry training activities, to include establishing an expeditionary operating base un austere conditions, company-sized helicopter operations and ground live-fire ranges.