ROTA, Spain --
U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy Sailors with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) will be working together with Portuguese Marines and Spanish Marines for Spanish Amphibious Bilateral Exercise (PHIBLEX) 2014.
The exercise serves to continue U.S. 6th Fleet’s efforts to build global maritime partnerships with European nations and improve maritime safety and security.
The exercise is designed to improve interoperability between nations, increase readiness and develop professional relationships.
Commanded by Col. William R. Dunn, the 22nd MEU includes around 2,400 Marines and Sailors, and comprises four elements: the command element; the ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment; the aviation combat element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Reinforced); and the logistics combat element, Combat Logistics Battalion 22.
For more information about the 22nd MEU’s deployment, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/22ndMEU or visit our webpage at www.22ndmeu.marines.mil.
For interested media, official Marine Corps video and imagery from exercise events will be available for your use, viewing and downloading at www.dvidshub.net/unit/22MEU. There is no cost for these products.
Media queries regarding the 22nd MEU may be directed to Capt. Stewart Coles, 22nd MEU public affairs officer at stewart.coles@bataan.usmc.mil.
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Information about the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit
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A MEU is considered America’s 911 Force - always forward deployed, ready to respond to a variety of crises from full-scale combat to humanitarian assistance. A MEU consists of a Command Element, Ground Combat Element, Aviation Combat Element, and Logistics Combat Element.
The 22nd MEU is composed of the following units: Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (based out of New River Air Station, N.C., with AV-8B Harrier attachments from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.); Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment (based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., which includes various attachments of artillery, reconnaissance, assault amphibious vehicles, and other support units), and Combat Logistics Battalion 22 (based out of Camp Lejeune). They are deployed on ships of Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) Six: the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), the amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44).
There are three MEUs on the East Coast (22nd, 24th, and 26th) and three on the West Coast (11th, 13th, and 15th), with a seventh based out of Okinawa (31st MEU).
The 22nd MEU last deployed from March 2011 to February 2012. During this deployment the MEU deployed to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility where it participated in numerous training exercises and theater security cooperation events with partner nations throughout the Middle East and Djibouti, Africa. In the Mediterranean, the 22nd MEU participated in liberty port calls in Italy, Romania, Turkey, Greece and Spain.
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