More than 4,500 Marines and sailors with the Boxer Amphibious Readiness Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit set out to sea Friday en route to the Western Pacific and the Middle East.
The Boxer ARG/MEU team will spend about approximately seven months deployed to the 3rd, 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations. The blue-green team will to serve as an expeditionary crisis response force in those regions capable of a wide range of amphibious missions.
"The Boxer ARG, 13th MEU team has truly excelled in their preparation for deployment," said Navy Capt. Keith Moore, commander of Amphibious Squadron One, in a news release. "The sailors and Marines of the ARG/MEU team are well trained and ready to deploy in support of all missions."
The San Diego-based amphibious assault ship USS Boxer is accompanied by the landing ship dock USS Harpers Ferry and the amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans.
The sailors aboard those ships y will operate with the 13th MEU's 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 166 (Reinforced) and Combat Logistics Battalion 13.
"I echo [Moore's] statements," said Col. Anthony Henderson, commanding officer of the 13th MEU, echoed Moore's statements in the release.
"Whether a humanitarian assistance mission or combat operations, we are ready," he said.
More than 4,500 Sailors and Marines from Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and 13th Marine Expeditionary Units will spend the next seven months deployed to the Middle East and Western Pacific.
Photo Credit: Craig Z. Rodarte/Navy
Several support units are also deployed with the ARG, including The ARG/MEU also includes several other supporting units like including a detachment from the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 "Wildcards." That detachment, which includes whose three MH-60S Knighthawks, can defend the amphibious task force, conduct search and rescue missions, provide logistics support and transport support special operations forces support and logistics support.
Other supporting elements include Fleet Surgical Team 3, Tactical Air Control Squadron 11, Assault Craft Units 1 and , Assault Craft Unit 5, and Beachmaster Unit 1.
"An equally critical contribution to our nation's security is the presence and interaction of America's sons and daughters of this Navy-Marine Corps team around the world as representatives of freedom, liberty and hope," Henderson said.
Matthew L. Schehl covers training and education, recruiting, West Coast Marines, MARSOC, and operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East for Marine Corps Times. He can be reached at mschehl@marinecorpstimes.com.
