Strict quarantine requirements for US Marines in the NT revealed

US MARINES arriving in Darwin have been warned they could face disciplinary action if they don’t adhere to quarantine requirements, after the first group of about 200 Marines touched down at RAAF Base Darwin yesterday.

The first 200 US Marines who have landed in Darwin will be required to undergo 14 days of quarantine. Picture: Supplied

• First US Marines touch down in the NT as Darwin deployment begins

US MARINES arriving in Darwin have been warned they could face disciplinary action if they don’t adhere to quarantine requirements.

The first group of about 200 Marines touched down at RAAF Base Darwin yesterday morning.

North Command group captain Stewart Dowrie said the Marines underwent COVID-19 swab testing on arrival on top of routine customs and biosecurity checks.

They will now be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine at an isolated facility on the base, where they will have their own rooms and be tested again before release.

“Over the next eight weeks groups of Marines, of about 200-300 at a time, will arrive in Darwin and go through that same process, building up to a force of about 1200 that will train through to September,” Cpt Dowrie said.

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He said he was very confident the Marines would uphold the quarantine rules with a high level of discipline.

“I have participated and seen the briefings that have been provided and the instructions are very clear and very enforceable,” he said.

He said if personnel did breach the rules, the US commanders and relevant government agencies would be notified and a decision would be made on whether or not discipline should be taken.

“We’ve also invited NT Police and health officers to come and supervise their quarantine; this is a completely transparent operation,” he said.

Cpt Dowrie said if any of the new arrivals tested positive for COVID-19, they would be taken to hospital for screening and could be taken to the Howard Springs facility to recover depending on severity.

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After quarantine is complete, the Marines will be clear to start training in Darwin and the Kangaroo Flats and Mount Bundey training areas.

“The training will be working up to Exercise Koolendong, a high-end bilateral warfighting activity that is conducted at the end of every Marine rotation,” he said.

“It’s very important to our readiness and ability to respond to crisis and contingency. It will be more towards the end of the deployment that we’ll see the usual pattern of a large number of people with American accents out, contributing to the social fabric of the city.”