31St Marine Expeditionary Unit News

A detachment of F-35B Lightning II's with Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121) arrived aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) March 5, marking the first time the aircraft has deployed aboard a U.S. Navy ship and with a Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Indo-Pacific. The F-35B, assigned under the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, will provide a robust set of sea-based capabilities that will enhance Navy-Marine Corps expeditionary operations. The aircraft is equally capable of conducting precision strikes inland, supporting Marines inserted ashore or providing air defense for the Expeditionary Strike Group. "Pairing…

Australia’s amphibious capability was put to the test recently as the Amphibious Task Group Headquarters took charge of the largest amphibious assault conducted by an Australian force for 70 years as part of Exercise TALISMAN SABER. The assault, led from amphibious sssault ship HMAS Canberra, was a significant milestone in the Australian Defence Force’s development of a high end amphibious warfare capability. The Australian and New Zealand Amphibious Ready Group, consisting of HMA Ships Canberra and Choules and the Royal New Zealand Navy’s HMNZS Canterbury, landed 600 embarked personnel, predominantly consisting of the Australian Army's 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, as part of a flanking force for the US Marine Corps’ 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20), with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), officially kicked off Exercise Cobra Gold 2017 (CG 17) in Sattahip, Thailand, Feb. 14. Cobra Gold is a Thailand/United States co-sponsored, combined task force and joint theater security cooperation exercise conducted annually in the Kingdom of Thailand. CG 17 will be held Feb. 14-24, with up to 29 nations participating. CG 17, in its 36th iteration, will address regional and global security challenges and will promote international cooperation and stability within the region. This year, Cobra Gold will strengthen regional cooperation and collaboration…

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) arrived in Saipan on Aug. 8 and is providing disaster relief in the wake of Typhoon Soudelor. When the ship was tasked to go to Saipan earlier in the week, Ashland's Sailors and Marines quickly reconfigured the ship's well deck and flight deck to support equipment and supplies that needed to be transported. Master Sgt. Hugh Weise, the MEU's motor transport operations chief, said no task is too tough for the MEU's vehicles. "We can move anything, if it's palletized, if it's containerized, if it's just loose bulk type cargo, we can dress trucks to make sure it happens," Weise said.

USS Peleliu (LHA 5) returned to Naval Base San Diego Dec. 24 from a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific. Upon return, the ship will make preparations to decommission in March after 34 years of service, 17 deployments and more than a million miles transited, and as the last remaining Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship. During the ship's deployment Peleliu, its crew, Commander, Amphibious Squadron Three, Special Purpose Marine Task Force Three and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 21 participated in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014 as part of U.S. 3rd Fleet. Upon assignment to 7th Fleet, the ship embarked Commander, Amphibious Force Seventh Fleet…

Dock landing ships 'USS Ashland' (LSD-48) and 'USS Germantown' (LSD-42) have replaced aircraft carrier 'USS George Washington', in the concerted efforts to extend relief efforts to typhoon victims in the Visayas region of the Philippines. Ashland and Germantown have aboard a combined total of approximately 900 Marines, elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, based in Okinawa, Japan. "Having amphibious ships here, along with the 31st MEU, brings more logistical capability and capacity to augment our ongoing relief operations in Visayas…

The first Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) landing ship 'USS Tortuga' leaves homeport for deployment in the 7th Fleet's area of responsibility. The forward deployed Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46), part of the Bonhomme Richard ARG, dsparts its homeport, for its spring deployment in the 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility. Tortuga will take part in an Amphibious Integration Training (AIT) and Certification Exercise (CERTEX), participate in the annual multinational combined joint training exercise Cobra Gold, and conduct various other exercises.

Military Sealift Command-chartered cargo ship MV Combi Dock III departed Subic Bay, Philippines, Oct. 30, carrying 460 pieces of U.S. Marine Corps equipment including Humvees, trucks, ambulances, firefighting vehicles, helicopters and supplies that were used during the recent amphibious landing exercise, or PHIBLEX, held in the Philippines Oct. 14-18. The equipment is being returned to Marine Corps bases on Okinawa, Japan. MSC-chartered high-speed vessel HSV Westpac Express also participated in the exercise by transporting Marines and their equipment between Okinawa and the Philippines.

The forward-deployed amphibious ship USS Essex (LHD 2) departed Subic Bay, the Republic of the after completing bilateral training during Balikatan 2008 and a scheduled port visit to to backload Marines, March 6. During Balikatan 2008, Essex operated with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in the vicinity of Western Luzon working bilaterally with the Armed Forces of the . Balikatan 2008 was the 24th annual event held under the auspices of the Mutual Defense Treaty and Visiting Forces Agreement. "Balikatan was a very successful training exercise for the Sailors and Marines on Essex, "said Capt. Brent Canady, ' commanding officer. "The opportunity for us to once again work with our friends and strategic partners of the Philippine Navy was wonderful.

By Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Michael D. Kennedy, Fleet Public Affairs Center Det. In preparation for Talisman Saber 2007 (TS07), Sailors and embarked Marines aboard USS Juneau (LPD 10) are learning environmental protection measures to safely preserve Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The main operating area for the exercise -- which will bring together nearly 32,000 U.S.-Australian forces for training -- is in Shoalwater Bay Training Area. The 1,000 square mile area near the Barrier Reef has a high environmental value. The area is administered by the Australian Army to ensure sound environmental practices are observed.

The U.S. Navy's Expeditionary Strike Group 7 ships left Brisbane, Australia, on June 10, while amphibious ships of Royal Australian Navy began the embarkation of Australian soldiers in northern neighbor Townsville, launching the force integration training (FIT) phase of Talisman Saber 2007 (TS07). TS07 is a joint and combined exercise demonstrating and improving on the U.S.-Australian military alliance that will feature crisis action planning and the execution of contingency response operations in land, sea and air maneuvers. More than 20,000 U.S. and 12,000 Australian personnel will participate in the military training exercise set to enhance interoperability and regional stability.

Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ESXARG) ships USS Essex (LHD 2) and USS Juneau (LPD 10) arrived in Busan and USS Tortuga (LSD 46) pulled into Chinhae on April 4 for scheduled port visits following the conclusion of Foal Eagle (FE) 2007. Sailors of the ESXARG and embarked Marines and Sailors of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) will have the opportunity to tour the Republic of Korea (ROK) and to participate in a community service project along with a variety of joint activities with the Essex's sister ship, the ROK Navy’s Yang Man Chun. “The Sailors and Marines of the ARG-MEU team have worked extremely hard in completing the mission of FE,” said Capt. Anthony J. Pachuta, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 11 commodore and ESXARG task group commander.

Essex Amphibious Ready Group and embarked elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in the Republic of Korea (ROK) on March 5 to conduct Reception Staging Onward-Movement and Integration and Foal Eagle 2007 (RSOI/FE 07), an exercise which will run through the end of March. RSOI/FE is one of two annual command post exercises held by U.S. Forces Korea and conducted with the ROK armed forces. RSOI/FE 07 is designed to demonstrate U.S. resolve to support the ROK while improving overall readiness. RSOI focuses on initial operational flow of deployed forces to Korean Theater of Operations: receiving military units in Korea (reception)…

USS Juneau (LPD 10), the amphibious transport dock ship of the USS Essex (LHD 2) Expeditionary Strike Group, completed the initial workup process with the Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Oct. During the workups, which began when Juneau departed White Beach Naval Facility Sept. 29 after onloading Marines and their equipment, the ship and its crew have recovered landing craft, air cushions (LCACs), embarked a landing craft utility (LCU), certified Marine pilots for deck landings (DLQs), and launched and recovered combat rubber raiding crafts (CRRCs). The successful workups come after the ship recently exited a three-month ship’s restricted availability (SRA) period, in which Juneau underwent an overhaul with much of its systems and overall material condition.