Marines Evaluate Amphibious Capabilities Aboard Boxer
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS081209-02
Release Date: 12/9/2008 6:22:00 AM
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeff Hopkins, USS Boxer Public Affairs
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is conducting its certification exercise (CERTEX) aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4) off the coast of Southern California, Dec. 5-12.
Marines of the 11th MEU are evaluating the exercise and providing feedback to ensure the 13th MEU is ready to deploy.
CERTEX is the final graded evaluation the Boxer Expeditionary Strike Group (BOXESG) must complete in order to be certified as ready to deploy. The exercise focuses on assessing the capability of the 13th MEU to operate in conjunction with Boxer and the ships of the ESG to complete joint operations.
The 11th MEU evaluators are assessing the 13th MEU's amphibious competencies across a broad spectrum, ranging from aircraft abilities to ship-to-shore transport operations.
"We provide the 13th MEU with a set of outside observers who can make recommendations to the commanding general of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) regarding the readiness of the MEU to deploy," said Marine Corps Col. Gregg Olson, commanding officer of the 11th MEU. "We observe their work-ups, how they interact with the Navy, and their operations ashore. We can then provide them with feedback as to areas in which they're proficient and areas in which they could improve."
According to Olson, among the areas of evaluation is the 13th MEU's ability to communicate information throughout its operational elements.
"What I consider as the trademark of a deployment-ready unit is the ability to process information, communicate it, make decisions based on it and then to execute those decisions," Olson said. "The MEU has excellent capability to collect and analyze information, and if it can be passed down through the chain to the battlefield and enable Marines to complete their mission, then that unit is operationally capable."
Among the benefits of training exercises like CERTEX and the composite training unit exercise BOXESG recently completed, Olson said that reinforcing the Marine Corps' amphibious capability is preeminent.
"It's important that we take every opportunity to relearn what should be our core competencies, namely our amphibious capabilities," Olson said. "Every time we put Marines to sea, there will be Marines who've never been to sea before. We are soldiers of the sea. Exercises such as this strengthen our blue-green team by completing missions in a naval expeditionary fashion in support of the nation's objectives."
Olson added that Boxer's Sailors and the Marines of the 13th MEU form an excellent team that exemplifies the traditions of the Navy and Marine Corps.
"The amphibious Sailors of Third Fleet and the Marines of First MEF have had a great relationship, and it's a joy to be back at sea with a team that is working so well together to accomplish their mission," Olson said. "From the mess decks to the flight deck, this ship's Sailors are going above and beyond to support the Marines, and you get a sense that this team is working well together just from watching the ship. "
Boxer Expeditionary Strike Group (BOXESG) is currently underway in support of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Certification Exercise to prepare for an upcoming deployment.
BOXESG is comprised of Amphibious Squadron 5, the 13th MEU, Boxer, USS New Orleans (LPD 18), USS Comstock (LSD 45), USS Chung Hoon (DDG 93), USCGC Boutwell (WHEC 719), USS Milius (DDG 69), USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), Naval Beach Group 1, Assault Craft Unit 5, Assault Craft Unit 1, Beach Master Unit 1, Fleet Surgical Team 5, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163 (Rein), Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21, Combat Logistics Battalion 13, Battalion Landing Team 1/1, and Fixed Wing Marine Attack Squadron 214.
For more news from USS Boxer, visit www.navy.mil/local/lhd4.
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