• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Marines Gear Up for MAGTF Exercise

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080421-09
Release Date: 4/21/2008 4:11:00 PM

From USS Peleliu Public Affairs

USS PELELIU, At Sea (NNS) -- The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and Amphibious Squadron (CPR) 3 conducted Marine Air Ground Task Force training exercises aboard amphibious assault ships USS Peleliu (LHA 5), USS Dubuque (LPD 8), and USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) in Southern California from April 9-16, for an upcoming combined deployment.

The exercises are designed to integrate the training Marines received on land with the operations necessary to execute their missions effectively from sea.

"We go through a lot of training before we deploy, such as firefighting, rifle and pistol qualifications and long-range raids," said Staff Sgt. Ramon Vasquez, assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 165 (Reinforced) (HMM-165). "The goal is to accomplish all our military training before we go on the ship."

Marines are taken to Camp Pendleton where they carry out selected amphibious missions in order to refine their skills.

"This is the real-world example of the Navy and Marine Corps team," said Maj. James R. Franks, executive officer of Battalion Landing Team 2/5 (BLT 2/5). "This is where the rubber meets the road."

Some of the training evolutions include amphibious raids, tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel, noncombatant evacuations of American civilians from hostile countries and humanitarian assistance operations.

"It's time to incorporate our months of training on land to our role on the ship," said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Alexander, attached to BLT 2/5. "It's important to be well rounded and ready for when we actually deploy."

The training exercises play an important role for the integration of Sailors and Marines, along with the ship's overall mission readiness.

"It is critical that we start getting back into a Navy and Marine Corps team at sea," said Peleliu Commanding Officer Capt. Marcus Hitchcock. "As we move into the future, we are coming together again and working side-by-side as we have for hundreds of years."

Prior to the MAGTF training at sea, CPR-3 ships and the 15th MEU completed unit-level training events in preparation for integrated operations that have been the hallmark of Navy and Marine Corps cooperation for more than 230 years.

For more news from USS Peleliu, visit www.navy.mil/local/lha5/.