ESG-2 and 2nd MEB Train to Maintain to Operate

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS121003-03
10/3/2012

From Expeditionary Strike Group 2 Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The Navy and Marine Corps continue to strengthen their partnership and demonstrate the single naval battle concept through joint amphibious training at Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Atlantic, Oct. 1-4.

This week, Expeditionary Strike Group 2 (ESG-2) and 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (2nd MEB) attended Advanced Amphibious Operations Symposium, an academic seminar designed to develop a baseline understanding of amphibious operations to prepare for the multinational, joint, amphibious exercise Bold Alligator 2013.

"We are here to discuss past exercises and the current scenario to get a better understanding of the history and the insight into why we fight the way we fight," said Operations Specialist 1st Class Cortenna Walton, assigned to ESG-2. "It is a good refresher."

The course builds upon amphibious doctrine and standard operating procedures to encourage dialogue between Sailors and Marines to create a common understanding of staff-level amphibious operations across the two services, warfare specialties, and throughout the individual staffs which include various levels of expertise. Topics range across the spectrum of mission areas from command and control (C2) relationships to logistical sustainment to battle space geometry and defense of the operating area.

"The training is valuable to integrate knowledge throughout and between the blue-green staffs," said Col. Thomas McCarthy, 2nd MEB operations officer. "C2 relationships - that's where this whole thing starts; it is the foundation of operating together."

Bold Alligator 13 is the third in a series of annual exercises which provides a training opportunity for a combined, joint amphibious response to a medium-level threat and anti-access/ area denial in order to validate existing doctrine in a contemporary environment. Bold Alligator 13 is a synthetic version of the exercise scheduled to take place onboard amphibious platforms in Norfolk, Va. next April. Bold Alligator 2014 is the next live event in the series.

"Our strength and character comes from not just being a Marine or being in the Navy; it comes from bringing our integrated, amphibious force to the fight," said Maj. Shannon Greene, ESG-2's future operations and targeting officer.

Amphibious forces own enhanced flexibility and versatility due to their sea-basing capabilities and tailorable nature which enables providing the right mix of ships and forces in the right quantities to maximize effect. Joint validation and collaboration is vital to ensuring successful amphibious exercises and operations to properly coordinate a myriad of capabilities and demonstrate the indivisible tenet of the single naval battle construct.

"I can name 5-10 amphibious victories for every one failure," said Glenn Palmer, Expeditionary Warfare collaborative team. "So if I had to choose; I'd pick an amphibious force."

In addition to overseeing and managing the readiness of the amphibious fleet; ESG-2 is a joint, rapid and robust deployable staff which supports the entire range of military operations from theatre security cooperation events to major combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief from the East Coast of the United States to the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf.