Marine Forces Europe and Africa

Marines with the new rotation of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa 15 completed a week-long certification exercise June 19, and are scheduled to deploy to Morón, Spain, and Sigonella, Italy, next month.

SPMAGTF-CR-AF is postured to respond to a broad range of military operations on the African continent, as directed by U.S. Africa Command including: U.S. Embassy reinforcement, fixed-site security, noncombatant evacuation operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel, theater security cooperation, and other missions as directed. All of these capabilities were tested during the certification exercise.







    







“The certification exercise is an opportunity for us, as a Special Purpose MAGTF, to incorporate the ground combat element, the air combat element and the logistics combat element to accomplish the mission,” said Lt. Col. Kemper A. Jones, executive officer for 6th Marine Regiment, which is the command element for the new SPMAGTF-CR-AF 15. “This exercise adds a realistic real-time approach to the training evolution, where time and coordination is of the essence when preparing and conducting operations.”







    







The exercise replicated a large area of operations, with training elements in Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station New River, Marine Corps Outlying Field Atlantic, all three located in North Carolina, Naval Air Station Oceana and Fort A.P. Hill, both located in Virginia.

The Marine rotational force is composed of Marines from 6th Marine Regiment; 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment; Combat Logistics Battalion 6; Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252; and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261.

A contingent of Marines also supports the Black Sea Rotational Force in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania, to conduct theater security cooperation engagements with NATO Allies and partners in the region.







 







“Communication within the task force plays a major role, since SPMAGTF-CR-AF is located over a vast geographical area in Europe, the ability to communicate and know who you are talking to is crucial,” said Jones. “The communication process started back in December so that all concerns and timelines were met and ready for the upcoming deployment.”