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YANBU, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA - As the start of Native Fury 22 approaches, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (SAU) and U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command (USMARCENT) begin preparations for the biennial exercise.
In its sixth iteration, Native Fury 22 is a MARCENT-led exercise focused on the demonstration of the rapid offload and integration of a Maritime Pre-Positioned Force (MPF) in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of regional security, crisis response, and contingency operations.
"The purpose of maritime prepositioning force operations is to be able to offload ships or aircraft in any place in the world where we need it,” said Cpl. Connor Reilly, an embarkation specialist with 1st Landing Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force. “It shows that no matter where we go, we can offload cargo needed to complete the mission sufficiently."
MPF operations are the rapid deployment and assembly of a U.S. Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) in a secure area using inter-theater airlift and forward-deployed maritime prepositioning ships. The operation is a strategic deployment option that is global in nature, naval in character, and suitable for various employment scenarios.
MPF-offload operations such as Native Fury 22 highlight the U.S. capabilities to effectively deliver mission essential gear, regardless of location; beach, port or open water.
The MPF remains a crucial element of the Marine Corps' response capability today; however, it's only one component of the Marine Corps' amphibious capabilities. MPF provides a method to rapidly augment a forward deployed MAGTF and contribute sizable and sustainable combat formations in response to a crisis.
"If things were to ever go wrong, essentially, across the sea, we implement certain plans,” said 1st Lt. Erikson Cherilus with 1st Combat Logistics Battalion, 1st Combat Logistics Regiment, 1st Marine Logistics Group. “One of those plans is known as the 'old plan', which will essentially enact us to go over there and do what we are trained for. Such as getting pieces of gear that are already on a ship out there waiting for us to offload it in another country and prepare to execute the mission."
Today's MPF operations are an outcome of decades of development, which in turn, have made it a globally postured capability that can support multiple contingency operations simultaneously.
"MPF offload is relevant in today's world because, again, we can go anywhere across the globe within 24 to 48 hours, offload a ship or aircraft and show how efficient we are as a fighting force," said Reilly.
According to Cherilus, Native Fury 22 teaches Marines and Sailors the importance of being masterful at their craft and having a wide knowledge base.
"You have all the normal gear you work with when you are home and you know how to use it," said Cherilus. "Yet, you are expected to do the same deployed, but once you're there, things will be different and not what you expect. Therefore, you must work through and around obstacles to complete the mission, and it gives the Marines the sense of, I'm doing what Marines are meant to do."
An MPF operation provides a method to rapidly augment a forward-deployed MAGTF; an ongoing amphibious operation; or another joint, multinational, or combined force operation.
"MPF operations are super relevant because the global operational environment right now is hectic. I think it will stay relevant because it's just a faster and easier way to deploy units and have gear ready for them to use immediately," said Cherilus.
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2022 02:27 |
| Story ID: | 426329 |
| Location: | YANBU, SA |
| Web Views: | 124 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Native Fury 22 Focuses on MPF Operations, by GySgt Courtney Glen White, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
