| 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force |
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Information About2nd Marine Expeditionary Force |
The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF), is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force consisting of ground, air, and logistics forces possessing the capability of projecting offensive combat power ashore while sustaining itself in combat without external assistance for a period of 60 days. COMPOSITION There are in excess of 47,000 Marines and Sailors in II MEF. It is comprised of four basic components:
Other units that are a part of the II Marine Expeditionary Force include:
HIGHER HEADQUARTERS United States Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH), headquartered in Miami, Florida , is the US Marine Corps component of the US Southern Command . Forces are provided by II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In addition, the Marine provides an immediate reaction riverine capable forces ready to conduct training for allied forces; and support to other Marine forces in USSOUTHCOM’s area of operational responsibility. While II MEF is included within the operational force structure of U.S. Atlantic Command (USACOM) and engages in operations and exercises throughout the USACOM area, it routinely commits operating forces in support of other U.S. unified and NATO commands. II MEF is, in fact, available for and prepared to respond to contingency requirements worldwide. EMPLOYMENT In addition to the option of being employed in its entirety as a MEF-sized unit, II MEF has the capability of forming tasked organized Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTF) of lesser size such as a MEF (Forward), a brigade-sized MAGTF about one-third the size of a MEF, or a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), about one-third the size of a MEF (Forward). The size and composition of any MAGTF will be dependent upon the mission assigned. One mission that could be assigned to the MEF (Forward) would be assignment for planning, deployment, and utilization of equipment stored aboard Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS). The MPS program involves the forward deployment of the MPS Squadron of four or five ships loaded with a brigade's worth of combat equipment and supplies and the airlifting of the MEF (Forward) to the designated objective area to link up with the MPS Squadron. At the same time, tactical aircraft of the MEF (Forward) are flight ferried to an airfield in or near the area of operation. The MEF (Forward) can be sustained for 30 days by the supplies aboard the ships. The only routinely deployed MAGTFs, the 22d, 24th and 26th MEUs deploy on a rotating basis to the Mediterranean Sea area to serve as the landing force for the Commander, 6th Fleet. The MEU consists of approximately 2,200 Marines and Sailors, is capable of rapid response in a variety of possible contingencies, and if the situation requires, can serve as the forward element of a larger MAGTF. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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