MRF-D 26 Marines participate in Tiwi Cultural Festival

DARWIN, Australia – In Aug. 2023, a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey crashed on Melville Island, one of the Tiwi Islands in Northern Territory, Australia, while conducting operations during a scheduled exercise. Three Marines lost their lives. The Mantiyupwi people of Tiwi Island, expressing support of the deceased and the grieving Marines who were so far from their families, ceremonially adopted MRF-D into their community at a ceremony after the traditional mourning period of one year and one month.

Since this adoption, MRF-D Marines have participated in the annual Tiwi Cultural Festival to celebrate Tiwi Island culture and give back to the community who adopted them. This year, 11 Marines and one Sailor arrived on the island July 16 to assist the community in setting up the festival. The Marines put up fences, built fire pits and assisted in setting up the stage for musical performances. One of the Marines was Lance Cpl. Harley Grimm, an aviation maintenance database specialist with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 268 (Reinforced), MRF-D 26.

“After what happened in 2023 with VMM-363—VMM-268’s sister squadron—this community supported the Marines so much,” Grimm said. The Mantiyupwi, who are one of the traditional custodian groups of Melville Island, closed the area to the public and allowed MRF-D to recover the aircraft and ensure the fallen were given the proper respects without delay.

“It definitely gives me a good feeling in my chest, being able to give the community what they gave to the Marines,” Grimm said. “Interacting with them has been a great experience—especially the kids, because they’re so outgoing and want to learn as much as we do.”

“It’s a unique experience we’re lucky to be able to take part in,” said 1st Lt. Braeden Garrett, commander of headquarters company, MRF-D 26, and the officer-in-charge of MRF-D 26’s element participating in the Tiwi Cultural Festival. “Not only being able to interact with the Mantiyupwi Clan and participate in the Tiwi Island’s culture, but to assist the community who’s done so much for MRF-D.”

After two days of assisting on-site with the building of the cultural festival, interacting with the local community and sleeping under the stars, the Marines were able to take part in the festivities. Marines who had assisted in constructing the booths providing information on the history of the islands and their people now got to meet the people running those booths and get first-hand accounts of the history that the local population have maintained on the Tiwi Islands. On the final night, the Marines took part in traditional dances in front of visitors from across the continent standing side-by-side with locals while they celebrated their culture.

The Marines’ participation in this festival showed their appreciation for the traditional stewards of these islands who adopted the rotational force and is a testament to the partnerships that MRF-D has forged in the region and maintained every year, regardless of rotation.