New Afghanistan deployments announced - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

New Afghanistan deployments announced

The military’s surge of forces deploying to Afghanistan by this spring will include about 8,500 Marines commanded by the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

The additional forces will come from units assigned to all three of the Marine Corps’ MEFs and will supplement the 10,900 Marines already slated to deploy this fall and winter. The first surge unit to leave home is 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, a reinforced infantry battalion that is scheduled to leave today from Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Below are the surge units ordered to Afghanistan as part of the addition of 30,000 U.S. troops approved this month by President Obama, and also units already tapped for an Afghanistan combat tour:

Command element:

Surge:

• I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), Camp Pendleton, Calif.

• Elements of I MEF Headquarters Group, Camp Pendleton

• Elements of 1st Intelligence Battalion, Camp Pendleton

• Elements of 1st Radio Battalion, Camp Pendleton

• Elements of 9th Communications Battalion, Camp Pendleton

• 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, Okinawa, Japan

• 3rd Civil Affairs Group, Camp Pendleton

Already scheduled:

• 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

• Brigade Headquarters Group, Camp Lejeune

• Communications Company, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune

• Elements of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Co. (Reinforced), 7th Engineer Support Battalion, Camp Pendleton

Ground combat element:

Surge:

• 1st Marine Division (Forward), Camp Pendleton

• Regimental Combat Team 2, Camp Lejeune

• 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (Reinforced), Camp Lejeune

• 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines (Reinforced), Camp Lejeune

• 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines (Reinforced), Camp Lejeune

• Elements of 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion (Reinforced), Twentynine Palms, Calif.

• Elements of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion (Reinforced), Camp Pendleton

Already scheduled:

• RCT-7, Twentynine Palms

• 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines (Reinforced), Twentynine Palms

• 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines (Reinforced), Marine Corps Bases Hawaii

• 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (Reinforced), Camp Pendleton

• Elements of 1st Light Armored Battalion (Reinforced), Camp Pendleton

• 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, Camp Pendleton

• Bravo Company, 1st Recon Battalion, Camp Pendleton

Air combat element:

Surge:

• 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.

• Elements of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C.

• Elements of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 467, MCAS New River

• Elements of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, MCAS Miramar

Already scheduled:

• Marine Aircraft Group 40, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.

• Elements of HMH-466, MCAS Miramar

• Elements of HMH-363, Marine Corps Base Hawaii

• VMM-365, MCAS New River

• HMLA-369, Camp Pendleton

• Elements of Marine Attack Squadron 231, MCAS Cherry Point

• Elements of Marine Wing Support Squadron 274, MCAS Cherry Point

Logistics support element:

Surged:

• 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward) headquarters, Camp Pendleton

• Combat Logistics Battalion 6 (Reinforced), Camp Lejeune

• Elements of 1st Maintenance Battalion (Reinforced), Camp Pendleton

Already scheduled:

• Combat Logistics Regiment 17, Camp Pendleton

• CLB-5 (Reinforced), Camp Pendleton

• 9th Engineer Support Battalion, Okinawa, Japan

Source: I MEF