Stories

Two U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), provide cover fire as Marines carry a simulated casualty to medical aid while conducting a platoon-sized raid on a simulated town during urban tactics training as part of the MEU’s Realistic Urban Training exercise at Fort Pickett, Va., Aug. 31, 2013. More than 160 Marines from the BLT practiced fire team and squad-level room and building clearings before progressing to platoon-sized raids on the town. The MEU is scheduled to deploy in early 2014 to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as a sea-based, expeditionary crisis response force capable of conducting amphibious missions across the full range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Austin Hazard/Released) - Two U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), provide cover fire as Marines carry a simulated casualty to medical aid while conducting a platoon-sized raid on a simulated town during urban tactics training as part of the MEU’s Realistic Urban Training exercise at Fort Pickett, Va., Aug. 31, 2013. More than 160 Marines from the BLT practiced fire team and squad-level room and building clearings before progressing to platoon-sized raids on the town. The MEU is scheduled to deploy in early 2014 to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as a sea-based, expeditionary crisis response force capable of conducting amphibious missions across the full range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Austin Hazard/Released)

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Joseph L. Taffe III, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), intelligence analyst, launches an RQ-11 Raven small unmanned aircraft system during Raven sustainment and intelligence interoperability training as part of the MEU’s Realistic Urban Training at Fort Pickett, Va., Aug. 27, 2013. The Raven training allowed different elements within the battalion to learn how to effectively employ the vehicle’s capabilities. The MEU is scheduled to deploy in early 2014 to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as a sea-based, expeditionary crisis response force capable of conducting amphibious missions across the full range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Manuel A. Estrada/Released) - U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Joseph L. Taffe III, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), intelligence analyst, launches an RQ-11 Raven small unmanned aircraft system during Raven sustainment and intelligence interoperability training as part of the MEU’s Realistic Urban Training at Fort Pickett, Va., Aug. 27, 2013. The Raven training allowed different elements within the battalion to learn how to effectively employ the vehicle’s capabilities. The MEU is scheduled to deploy in early 2014 to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as a sea-based, expeditionary crisis response force capable of conducting amphibious missions across the full range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Manuel A. Estrada/Released)

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit’s (MEU) light armored reconnaissance company raid a compound during a motorized raid course at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 20, 2013. Approximately 120 Marines in more than 20 light armored vehicles worked alongside Alpha Co., BLT 1/6, during the weeklong field exercise. The MEU is scheduled to deploy in early 2014 to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as a sea-based, expeditionary crisis response force capable of conducting amphibious missions across the full range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Austin Hazard/Released) - U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit’s (MEU) light armored reconnaissance company raid a compound during a motorized raid course at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 20, 2013. Approximately 120 Marines in more than 20 light armored vehicles worked alongside Alpha Co., BLT 1/6, during the weeklong field exercise. The MEU is scheduled to deploy in early 2014 to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as a sea-based, expeditionary crisis response force capable of conducting amphibious missions across the full range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Austin Hazard/Released)

Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Marines scale a rock wall at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 16, 2013. More than 20 battalion Marines completed the rigorous six-week assault climbers course, which culminated in three weeks of mountainous-terrain training at Camp Dawson, W.Va. The MEU is scheduled to deploy in early 2014 to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as a sea-based, expeditionary crisis response force capable of conducting amphibious missions across the full range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Austin Hazard/Released) - Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Marines scale a rock wall at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 16, 2013. More than 20 battalion Marines completed the rigorous six-week assault climbers course, which culminated in three weeks of mountainous-terrain training at Camp Dawson, W.Va. The MEU is scheduled to deploy in early 2014 to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as a sea-based, expeditionary crisis response force capable of conducting amphibious missions across the full range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Austin Hazard/Released)

Lance Cpl. Dakota Robinson, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense specialist and native of Springtown, Texas, prepares to be lowered into the confined-space trainer to search for a casualty at the Center for National Response in Gallagher, W.V., May 30, 2013. A group of 10 Marines and a corpsman from the 22nd MEU completed the 10-day course, which also covered rope rescues and rescue tactics in collapsed structures, May 30 in preparation for the unit’s deployment early next year. (Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Krista James/released) - Lance Cpl. Dakota Robinson, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense specialist and native of Springtown, Texas, prepares to be lowered into the confined-space trainer to search for a casualty at the Center for National Response in Gallagher, W.V., May 30, 2013. A group of 10 Marines and a corpsman from the 22nd MEU completed the 10-day course, which also covered rope rescues and rescue tactics in collapsed structures, May 30 in preparation for the unit’s deployment early next year. (Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Krista James/released)

Cpl. Gernard Rathbun, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit armorer, treads water in the training pool at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., for annual swim qualification April 5, 2013. The unit is constantly training to maintain a high state of readiness. (Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Austin Hazard/Released) - Cpl. Gernard Rathbun, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit armorer, treads water in the training pool at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., for annual swim qualification April 5, 2013. The unit is constantly training to maintain a high state of readiness. (Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Austin Hazard/Released)

Sgt. Miguel Diaz, a Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa combat engineer, practices patrolling with a role player portraying a soldier of an African partner nation during the unit's mission rehearsal exercise aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Dec. 12, 2012. The four-day exercise simulated situations the Marines and sailors may encounter during their deployment, such as language barriers, requests for supplies and local illnesses. (Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Austin Hazard/Released) - Sgt. Miguel Diaz, a Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa combat engineer, practices patrolling with a role player portraying a soldier of an African partner nation during the unit's mission rehearsal exercise aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Dec. 12, 2012. The four-day exercise simulated situations the Marines and sailors may encounter during their deployment, such as language barriers, requests for supplies and local illnesses. (Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Austin Hazard/Released)

Lance Cpl. Kentarus D. Maronie, a mortarman with Echo Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and Greenville, S.C., native, bore sights an M224 60mm mortar system during a mortar range outside of Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Oct. 9, 2011. The Marines conducted conventional, coordinated fire training, hand-held fire training, and night fire training. The 22nd MEU is currently deployed as part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BATARG) as the U.S. Central Command theatre reserve force, also providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. - Lance Cpl. Kentarus D. Maronie, a mortarman with Echo Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and Greenville, S.C., native, bore sights an M224 60mm mortar system during a mortar range outside of Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Oct. 9, 2011. The Marines conducted conventional, coordinated fire training, hand-held fire training, and night fire training. The 22nd MEU is currently deployed as part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BATARG) as the U.S. Central Command theatre reserve force, also providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

The USS Bataan (LHD 5) “Gator” mascot high-fives Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit during a 5K fun-run on Bataan’s flight deck June 26, 2009. Marines and Sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and USS Bataan came together for a day of food, fun and games to build comradery during a scheduled deployment. The MEU, embarked aboard the ships of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, is currently serving as the theater reserve force for U.S. Central Command. - The USS Bataan (LHD 5) “Gator” mascot high-fives Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit during a 5K fun-run on Bataan’s flight deck June 26, 2009. Marines and Sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and USS Bataan came together for a day of food, fun and games to build comradery during a scheduled deployment. The MEU, embarked aboard the ships of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, is currently serving as the theater reserve force for U.S. Central Command.