Korean and U.S. Marines will hold an annual joint military exercise next month designed to enhance interoperability between the allies' troops, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Wednesday. The U.S. III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Japan, and Korea's Marine Corps were scheduled to participate in this year's Korean Marine Exercise Program (KMEP), slated for March 9-19, according to a release uploaded on the website of the command. The KMEP exercise features field training exercises consisting of close air support evolutions, live-fire ranges and logistics training, demonstrating "combined resolve," and upholding regional security and deterrence, it said. The drills, which involve tactical-level field training events, include a diverse set of scenarios designed to boost interoperability and strengthen the alliance, it said. "For more than 70 years, U.S. and ROK Marines have maintained a strong relationship that has promoted regional security and enhanced our combined capability to respond to any potential challenge," U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, commanding general of th