USS Bataan (LHD-5) on May 15, 2014. US Navy Photo
The Pentagon is moving an amphibious warship closer to Libya following an attack on the prime minister’s home, a defense official told USNI News on Wednesday. Read More
An infantry Marine with 3rd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, walks across a field during a security patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 20, 2014. US Marine Corps Photo
The Marine Corps is preparing for its new normal with a force of 175,000, that plans to operate under the constraints of sequestration, the assistant commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, told a key Senate subcommittee on Wednesday. Read More
Marines with Combat Logistics Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 7 work together to put a transmission in the back of one of their vehicles aboard Camp Shorabak, Helmand province, Afghanistan on March 12, 2014. US Marine Corps Photo
The Navy will likely need five more years of funding above its base budget to send ships through dry dock to overcome years of deferred maintenance, and the Marine Corps’ needs two or three years of additional funding to reset its equipment, senior sea service officers told the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee on Thursday. Read More
USS Bataan (LHD 5) departs Naval Station Norfolk on Feb. 8, 2014. US Navy Photo
Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) Bataan left Naval Station Norfolk, Va. for an eight month deployment on Saturday. Read More
Marines prepare to disembark amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) in Guam on Sept. 12, 2013. US Navy Photo
From the Dec. 17, 2013 Government Accountability Office report: Further Analysis Needed to Identify Guam’s Public Infrastructure Requirements and Costs for DOD’s Realignment Plan. Read More
Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) read the reenlistment oath on Aug. 9, 2013. US Navy Photo
“Retention is staying higher this year that what we programmed for” in the 65,000 Navy Reserve force, its chief—Vice Adm. Robin Braun—told USNI News. The active Navy, is experiencing the same phenomenon. But because “we can’t grow a reserve submarine officer, a reserve operator,” Braun is on the lookout for those and other unrestricted line officers leaving active duty. Read More
People’s Liberation Army Navy Rear Adm. Kan Li Kui drinks a sample of purified water at a disaster site in Biang, Brunei Darussalam June 19, as part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief and Military Medicine Exercise. US Marine Corps Photo.
Last week Brunei hosted an important but little-noticed exercise in its portion of the island of Borneo. The multinational event sponsored by and held in conjunction with the second meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) and was the first of its kind. The group focused on boosting interoperability among the participants’ medical and disaster response capabilities. But as important was the mix of participants included countries better known for tense maritime stand-offs than working together. Read More
Marines train with M224A1 60mm mortar system in 2012.
The U.S. Marine Corps is blaming a fatal March mortar accident that killed seven Marines on ‘human error,’ service officials told USNI News.“Marines employing one of the mortars did not follow correct procedures, resulting in the detonation of a high explosive round at the mortar position,” read the statement from 2nd Marine Division Public Affairs.
“The investigation also determined that the mortar section had not conducted appropriate preparatory training leading up to the live-fire event.” Read More
Lt. Col. Andrew J. McNulty speaks to 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment service members during a memorial ceremony March 21, 2013. McNulty was relieved of command on Wednesday. US Marine Corps Photo
Three Marine officers were relieved of command Wednesday in the aftermath of a March mortar accident that killed seven Camp Lejeune, N.C. Marines, 2nd Marine Division officials told USNI News.
Lt. Col. Andrew McNulty, commander of 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, the battalion’s Alpha Company commander Capt. Kelby Breivogel and the battalion’s infantry weapons officer Chief Warrant Officer 3 Douglas Derring were relieved of their duties with the 9th Marines, 1st Lt. Peter Koerner with 2nd Marines told USNI News on Thursday and first reported by Marine Corps Times. Read More
Marine with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 12.2. US Marine Corps Photo
Marines are building on decades of experience in fielding responsive Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs)—embarked on board Navy Amphibious Ready Groups, (ARGs)—to deliver an even faster first punch.
The new Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response (MAGTF-CR), will operate in the Mediterranean to give the United States quicker response times to trouble in Africa and the Middle East. Instead of a ship-deployed force, the unit will be based around a company of infantry Marines, six MV-22 Ospreys, and two KC-130J Hercules fixed-wing aircraft. This is a surprising move for a Marine Corps that wants to return to amphibious roots. Read More
