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31st MEU deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom

Release number: 04-088
August 20, 2004

MARINE CORPS BASE, CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan - The U.S. Marine Corps' 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, currently located in Okinawa, Japan, received deployment orders to the Central Command area of responsibility to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. For operational reasons, specific dates for troop movements are not releasable.

The 31st MEU is expected to return to Okinawa once it is mission complete. While it is not possible to provide a specific date for the unit's return, typical Marine deployments last from four to seven months. The unit will remain deployed as long as needed to best support Central Command.

The 31st MEU's deployment to the Central Command's area of responsibility is part of the Marine Corps commitment to security and stability all around the world as we fight the Global War on Terrorism.

The U.S. remains fully committed to our Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security with Japan, and to ensuring the security and stability of the Asia-Pacific region. U.S. Pacific Command maintains the capability to provide a prudent deterrent posture in the Western Pacific. The U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region demonstrates the U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan, as well as security and stability in the region.

The Marine Corps will continue to support Combatant Commanders around the world. Ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have demonstrated the Marine Corps' ability to operate in complex environments across the spectrum of operations.

For additional information contact the 31st MEU Public Affairs Officer, 1st Lt.
Tryiokasus W. Brown or III Marine Expeditionary Force Consolidated Public Affairs Office.