MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Nine-hundred Marines and sailors deployed Jan. 24 to support operations in the U.S. African and U.S. European Command areas of responsibility.
Of the 900 service members from 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment who departed, more than 500 headed to Eastern Europe to support collective security in the region.
Postured out of Mihail Kogălniceanu Airfield, Romania, the 500 troops comprise the next iteration of Black Sea Rotational Force which provides the U.S. European Command the ability to preposition forces in order to provide a quicker crisis and contingency response capability while improving interoperability between U.S. partners and allies.
"Black Sea Rotational Force is a departure from the typical deployments for Marines and sailors in an infantry battalion," said Lt. Col. Jeffery R. Stevenson, on-coming commanding officer of BSRF. "It allows us the opportunity to train with and learn from our partner-nations and allies in order to continue improving our interoperability with one another and maintain a presence in the region."
2nd Battalion, 8th Marines is replacing 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment from the approximate six-month deployment. Both units are stationed out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
"[BSRF] represents the Marine Corps' commitment to not just being the force of choice, but the right force, right now. Their forward deployed posture, alert status, ability to task organize, and operate across a range of military operations provides combatant commanders with an expeditionary force capable of conducting operations with unprecedented speed and forces task-organized for range of operations, scale and capability," said Lt. Col. Joel F. Schmidt, out-going commanding officer of BSRF.
Black Sea Rotational Force is able to respond to a broad range of military operations in the EUCOM area of responsibility, including but not limited to: crisis and contingency response, U.S. Embassy reinforcement, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, and training with partner nations.
The additional 400 Marines and sailors deploying will be postured at Moron Air Base in Spain and Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy to support Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis-Response Africa.
SPMAGTF-CR-AF is postured to respond to a broad range of military operations in the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility, including but not limited to: crisis and contingency response, U.S. Embassy reinforcement, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, and training with partner nations.
Details about the training the unit conducted prior to departure can be found at:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/151306/mission-ready-new-crisis-response-marines-continue-operations-africa-europe#.VMFGOsKKC1s .