The offload began this morning as Navy hovercrafts, called Landing Craft Air Cushioned, ferried personnel and equipment from ships sitting off the North Carolina coast to Onslow Beach, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Simultaneously, the 24th MEU’s aviation element flew 21 rotary wing aircraft packed with personnel and gear back to Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.
The 24th MEU is returning home after completing a wide variety of missions from humanitarian assistance in Haiti, to bilateral training exercises in the Middle East with partnered countries in that region of the world.
“This deployment was characterized by the unique flexibility, diversity, and responsiveness of the forward deployed presence of our Marine Corps and Navy team,” said Col. Pete Petronzio, commanding officer, 24th MEU. “We were able to quickly and efficiently respond to the needs of the Haitian people and soon there after execute a number of varied Theater Security Cooperation exercises all while being ready to support the Geographic Combatant Commander however needed.”
The first stop of the deployment took them to Haiti where they participated in Operation Unified Response after a 9.0 earthquake devastated the country.
While on the ground in Haiti, the 24th MEU delivered 8,783 bags of rice, 30,000 bottles of water, 117,000 individual meals and 2,600 pounds of medical supplies to earthquake survivors. Medical and dental personnel from the MEU also worked alongside Navy corpsmen to treat more than 100 earthquake survivors, including 16 Haitians who were evacuated to the Nassau for treatment.
The 24th MEU also assisted Joint Task Force Haiti with the construction of a 250-bed interim aftercare medical facility in Port-au-Prince that was turned over to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide follow-on care for convalescent patients recovering from surgeries.
They completed their mission in Haiti on Feb. 7, and steamed across the Atlantic, through the Mediterranean and Suez Canal into the 5th Fleet area of operations where they served as the theater reserve force for Central Command from February through July.
During this time period the 24th MEU split the amphibious ready group which allowed each ship to operate independently and participate in a variety of training exercises throughout the Middle East.
In Djibouti, Africa, and in Kuwait, the Marines conducted various live-fire ranges including combined arms training that incorporated infantry, artillery and aircraft. Other sustainment training included exercises in counter-insurgency and military operations in urban terrain.
The 24th MEU also conducted numerous theater security cooperation events in 5th Fleet, such as hosting foreign military representatives aboard the command ship, USS Nassau, which allowed partnered nations to learn about the capabilities of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force, and how the Marines partner with the Navy to conduct amphibious operations. They also conducted training exercises with partnered countries in the region to build relationships and familiarity between U.S. and Middle Eastern militaries.
Marines assigned to Mesa Verde and USS Ashland were able to pull into port in Dubai, Bahrain, and Qatar while in 5th Fleet. USS Nassau executed a port stop in the Seychelles after 159 days at sea without a port stop.
A highlight of their time in 5th Fleet included the multiple training exercises with the French Foreign Legion and French Army in Djibouti. This relationship lead to a rugby and soccer match between the two militaries where the Marines won both events.
At the end of July, the 24th MEU was relieved of their duties in 5th Fleet after rotating with the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based 15th MEU, and returned to the Mediterranean Sea in the 6th Fleet area of operations. Here, Marines on each ship enjoyed some well-deserved liberty at various port calls. Marines on USS Nassau visited Rome, while USS Ashland visited Turkey and Spain, and USS Mesa Verde visited Greece and Croatia.
“The Marines and Sailors of the MEU were, as always, tremendous,” said Petronzio, who is returning after his second deployment as the MEU’s commanding officer. “It is eye watering to witness what our Marines and Sailors are capable of. No task is too difficult, no time frame is too short, and the weather conditions don’t stop them - they just get the job done time after time. I am humbled to be just a small part of what they accomplish day in and day out.”
Approximately 750 Marines are scheduled to be offloaded today. The main body of the MEU will return tomorrow as USS Nassau and Mesa Verde pull into the port at Morehead City, N.C., and offload the remaining personnel and equipment.
Homecomings for the multiple units that make up the MEU took place today at various locations on Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station New River, and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and will continue throughout the day tomorrow at Camp Lejeune.
The MEU consists of a Command Element, Ground Combat Element, Aviation Combat Element, and Combat Logistics Element. The 24th MEU is made up of the following units: Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (based out of New River Air Station, N.C.), Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment (based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C.), and Combat Logistics Battalion 24 (based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C.). They were deployed on ships from the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group / Amphibious Squadron 8 (PHIBRON 8): the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA 4), the amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48).
| Date Taken: |
08.11.2010 |
| Date Posted: |
08.11.2010 21:03 |
| Story ID: |
54353 |
| Location: |
CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: |
350 |
| Downloads: |
3 |
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