U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Elena Rodriguez, right, sergeant major, 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, returns the colors to the color guard during a change of command ceremony aboard the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) in Kiel, Germany, June 21, 2025. During the ceremony, Brig. Gen. Samuel Meyer relinquished command of 2d MEB to Col. Andrew Martinez. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. John Allen)
U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Andrew T. Priddy relinquishes command of 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) to Brig. Gen. Samuel L. Meyer, the incoming commanding general of 2d MEB, during the 2d MEB change of command ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, May 16, 2024. The role of 2d MEB’s commanding general is to provide a scalable, standing, joint-capable, deployment-ready headquarters element to support II MEF operations abroad. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Emily Hazelbaker)
NAPLES, Italy –Task Force 61/2 (TF 61/2) stands at the forefront of the Marine Corps and Navy's integration efforts in the Mediterranean, enhancing amphibious operations and ensuring that U.S. forces are always ready to respond to any crisis in the region. Based in Naples, Italy, TF 61/2 operates with a scalable presence, supporting Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) deployments in the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) theaters. When the ARG/MEU is not forward deployed in the EUCOM and AFRICOM areas of responsibilities, TF 61/2 maintains a smaller staff in Naples, ready to surge forward to command and control the ARG/MEU or respond to emerging crises in the European and...