The deployment is a part of an everyday rotation of forces that foster maritime safety and elevated theater cooperation by offering a ahead naval presence with huge, specialised disaster response capabilities.
“After months of rigorous coaching, the Kearsarge ARG and twenty second MEU are able to train our mission units throughout a variety of navy operations,” stated Capt. David Guluzian, commander of Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 6. “The ARG-MEU crew is a totally built-in, multi-mission preventing drive prepared to reply and decisively interact any scenario or problem throughout this deployment.”
The ARG consists of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship and ARG flagship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) and dock touchdown ship USS Gunston Corridor (LSD 44).
Gunston Corridor is scheduled to depart Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek later within the month.
Embarked instructions with the Kearsarge ARG embody commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 6, Fleet Surgical Staff (FST) 2, Tactical Air Management Squadron (TACRON) 22, Helicopter Sea Fight Squadron (HSC) 28, Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 2, Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 4, Naval Seashore Group (NBG) 2 and Seashore Grasp Unit (BMU) 2.
The twenty second MEU, commanded by Col. Paul Merida, will function a sea-based, expeditionary disaster response drive able to conducting amphibious missions throughout the complete vary of navy operations. The twenty second MEU contains the command factor; the aviation fight factor, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron, 263 (Bolstered); the bottom fight factor, Battalion Touchdown Staff 2/6 (Bolstered); and the logistics fight factor, Fight Logistics Battalion 26.
“In the course of the course of a complete six month coaching program, the Kearsarge Amphibious Prepared Group and the twenty second Marine Expeditionary Unit have constructed a carefully built-in and nicely educated naval expeditionary drive,” stated Merida. “We stand prepared for any mission or problem that comes our method.”
This deployment follows months of intense coaching and preparations throughout numerous maritime integration workouts. The Kearsarge ARG-MEU crew most lately concluded a composite coaching unit train (COMPTUEX), a collection of workouts designed to totally combine roughly 4,000 Sailors and Marines into one cohesive contingency drive whereas testing the items’ skills to hold out sustained operations from the ocean. Throughout COMPTUEX, the ARG-MEU operated below NATO command and management, which was a primary for an ARG-MEU and is usually solely practiced amongst service strike teams. Moreover, this train marked the primary time a U.S. Coast Guard cutter participated in an ARG-MEU train by offering priceless interoperability expertise between naval and USCG forces.
The Kearsarge ARG-MEU crew is manned, educated, and outfitted to meet amphibious necessities in assist of maritime safety and stability. Amphibious prepared teams and bigger amphibious job forces present navy commanders a variety of versatile capabilities together with maritime safety operations, expeditionary energy projection, strike operations, ahead naval presence, disaster response, sea management, deterrence, counter-terrorism, data operations, safety cooperation and counter-proliferation, and humanitarian help and catastrophe reduction.
