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15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
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Not to be confused with the
15th Marine Regiment
.
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit Insignia
Founded
1 July 1987
Country
United States
Branch
United States Marine Corps
Type
Marine air ground task force
Role
Forward-deployed, rapid-response force
Size
2,200
Part of
I Marine Expeditionary Force
Garrison/HQ
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Engagements
Somali Civil War
Operation Restore Hope
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Stabilise
War on Terror
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Current
commander
Colonel Fridrik Fridriksson
[1]
Notable
commanders
Brian Beaudreault
Thomas D. Waldhauser
Robert R. Blackman Jr.
The
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
(
15th MEU
) is one of seven
such units
currently in existence in the
United States Marine Corps
. The Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is a
Marine Air Ground Task Force
(MAGTF) with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced infantry battalion, a composite helicopter squadron and a combat logistics battalion.
[2]
The 15th MEU is currently based out of
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
, California.
Mission
[
edit
]
The mission of the MEU is to provide geographic combatant commanders with a forward-deployed, rapid-response force capable of conducting conventional
amphibious
and selected maritime operations at night or under adverse weather conditions from the sea, by surface and/or by air while under communications and electronics restrictions.
[2]
Current subordinate units
[
edit
]
Ground Combat Element
:
1st Battalion, 4th Marines
Aviation Combat Element
:
VMM-164
(REIN)
Logistics Combat Element
:
Combat Logistics Battalion 15
History
[
edit
]
Early years
[
edit
]
In April 1983, the
Commandant of the Marine Corps
approved the original
Marine Air-Ground Task Force
(MAGTF) Headquarters concept, providing for the sourcing of two Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) headquarters from each Marine Amphibious Brigade headquarters.
[3]
The Commandant directed the establishment of two additional MAU headquarters in November 1985. As a result, the Headquarters, 15th Marine Amphibious Unit was activated 1 July 1987 at Camp Pendleton.
The Commandant directed the replacement of the title "Headquarters" with "Command Element" in the titles of the MAGTFs in August 1987. The 15th MAU's designation was further changed in February 1988 to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Both changes were made to more accurately reflect the operational and
expeditionary nature
of the MAGTF. Before World War II, and in the period between then and the
Vietnam War
, Marine units dispatched for overseas service were generally designated as "expeditionary brigades."
Since its activation in July 1987, the 15th MEU has trained to meet its mission in the rotation with the
11th
and
13th MEUs
to provide a continuous presence in the
Western Pacific
, Indian Ocean, and
Persian Gulf
and as a ready MAGTF in the continental United States.
In October 1989, the MEU assisted in relief efforts following the
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
, performing their assigned missions and also taking on several volunteer projects to help the victims of the disaster.
1990s
[
edit
]
Marines of the 15th MEU relieved the
1st Battalion, 24th Marines
(1/24,
4th Marine Division
) to continue the evacuation of the
Republic of the Philippines
in August 1991 after the eruption of
Mount Pinatubo
that had occurred six weeks earlier. Assistance lasted over a month as the Marines distributed food and medical supplies, evacuated stranded villagers and provided security to other rescue personnel.
The MEU spearheaded
Operation Restore Hope
on 9 December 1992, to provide
humanitarian assistance
to the civil war torn and
famine
-stricken country of
Somalia
.
[4]
After a predawn landing, the Marines secured the capital city of
Mogadishu
, the international airport and maritime shipping port facilities, as well as the American Embassy, and quickly moved into other inland areas to protect food distribution convoys and patrol the streets to restore order. The MEU pushed into and secured the inland cities of Baidoa and Balidogle and the coastal town of
Kismayo
in order to establish relief efforts and maintain security. The span of operations for the Battalion Landing Team was over 150 miles (240 km).
During its deployment in 1994, the MEU provided a detachment of
CH-53Es
to assist in the
Rwanda
Relief Effort.
[5]
The detachment, based in
Entebbe
, Uganda, provided the only heavy lift capability to the joint task force commander. A few weeks later the MEU assisted in the relocation of the United States Liaison Office from Mogadishu, Somalia, to
Nairobi
, Kenya.
In October 1994, the MEU was called on again to provide a
quick reaction force
to counter any possible
Iraqi
aggression against
Kuwait
. Within 48 hours, the MEU sent Marines ashore in
Kuwait City
to demonstrate U.S. resolve in maintaining peace and security in the area.
In January 1996, July 1997, and October 1998,
AV-8B Harriers
from the 15th MEU (SOC) participated in
Operation Southern Watch
, patrolling the
No-fly zone
over southern Iraq maintaining continuous surveillance of the Kuwait-Iraq border, and to ensure the Iraqi military did not violate any
United Nations resolutions
passed since the
Gulf War
.
During its 2000 deployment, the 15th MEU (SOC) also participated in the Australian-led
Operation Stabilise
, providing desperately needed assistance to the people of
East Timor
, and again patrolled the skies over Southern Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch.
Global War on Terrorism
[
edit
]
Marines from the 15th MEU at
Camp Rhino
on 25 November 2001
Marines of the Forward Command Element of the 15th MEU (SOC) were in East Timor readying for the arrival of the ARG to conduct Humanitarian Operations, while the ARG was in Darwin, Australia during the September 2001 terror attacks on the United States. Following the
11 September attacks
on the
World Trade Center
and
the Pentagon
, the 15th MEU (SOC) continued their plans of humanitarian operations to assist the war-torn country of
East Timor
, before sailing to the North
Arabian Sea
in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom
.
On 7 October 2001, the 15th MEU participated in the United States' new "
War on Terrorism
", sending Marines and Sailors into Northern
Pakistan
to establish a
forward operating air base
and
logistical
hub. These Marines provided security to USAF personnel who arrived on location shortly after the 15th MEU Marines of Battalion Landing Team 1/1 had established security.
On 25 November 2001, the Marines and Sailors of the 15th MEU (SOC) conducted an
Amphibious assault
over 400 miles (640 km) into the land-locked country of
Afghanistan
. The Marines and Sailors set new standards for Marine Corps amphibious doctrine. Landing at a remote airbase, 90 miles (140 km) southwest of
Kandahar
, the Marines occupied
Camp Rhino
that had been secured by the U.S. Army special forces, America's first
Forward Operating Base
while maintaining the first significant conventional ground presence in Afghanistan. The Marines and coalition forces later moved north to
Kandahar International Airport
securing a new forward operating base. With the move, the Marines and coalition forces were able to continue with new missions and build a prison camp that housed numerous
Taliban
and
Al-Qaeda
fighters.
On 6 January 2003, this time on board the
USS
Tarawa
ARG
, the 15th MEU (SOC) departed once again for another deployment. In mid-February, elements of the MEU off-loaded and established a training camp in Northern
Kuwait
while other members of the MAGTF – primarily the helicopter squadron – remained on board the Tarawa ARG in the
Persian Gulf
.
During February and March 2003, tactical control (TACON) of the MEU was assigned to the United Kingdom's
3 Commando Brigade
Royal Marines
for
Operation Iraqi Freedom
. On 21 March 2003, Marines from the 15th MEU crossed the border into Southern Iraq and secured the ports of
Umm Qasr
and
Az Zubayr
in order to destroy Iraqi resistance and enable follow-on humanitarian assistance to begin.
[6]
In late-March 2003, the MEU again became part of the
I Marine Expeditionary Force
and moved to
An Nasiriyah
, Iraq to relieve the Marines of
Task Force Tarawa
. In An Nasiriyah, the 15th MEU secured the remaining sectors of the city, conducted a supporting attack during the rescue of American
prisoner of war
Jessica Lynch
[7]
and continued to establish security throughout the greater An Nasiriyah area. The MEU provided humanitarian assistance to the local population that included purifying drinking water, and doctors and corpsmen assisted medical care. The MEU began helping establish the local government to include police and other local services in addition to continuing to conduct airborne surveillance and direct-action raids on the ground to seek out and capture any
Ba’ath Party
or
Fedayeen
resistance.
Marines perform maintenance on their equipment in the hangar bay of
USS
Boxer
.
In January 2005, the 15th MEU participated in
Operation Unified Assistance
by providing disaster relief to survivors of the
destructive tsunami
in
Sumatra
, Indonesia and southern
Sri Lanka
. Immediately after wrapping up those operations, the 15th MEU proceeded south of
Baghdad, Iraq
to Forward Operating Base Falcon near
Al-Mahmudiyah
, Babil province, south of for security and stability operations in between rotations of army units. Their deployment into Iraq lasted about 30 days.
On 13 September 2006, the 15th MEU was once again deployed to Iraq. It left San Diego on
USS
Boxer
,
USS
Dubuque
, and
USS
Comstock
and in mid November began operating in
Al Anbar
province as Task Force Bullrush, composed of elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable); Bravo Company,
3rd Reconnaissance Battalion
; C Company,
1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
, and Alpha Company, 3rd Platoon,
1st Combat Engineer Battalion
.
On 11 February 2007, the unit received notice of its second extension of their deployment in support of President Bush's surge of additional forces into the critical areas of Iraq. While operating in Al Anbar, the MEU conducted combat operations in
Rutbah
,
Barwana
,
Haditha
,
Haqlaniyah
,
Ramadi
and
Al Asad
in support of Multinational Force-West. The unit returned to San Diego on 30 May 2007.
On 5 May 2008, the unit was deployed on a sea deployment to the Western Pacific & the Persian Gulf, aboard
USS
Peleliu
(LHA-5)
,
USS
Dubuque
(LPD-8)
, and
USS
Pearl Harbor
(LSD-52)
.
[8]
[9]
On 2010, the unit was deployed to the
Gulf of Aden
for anti-piracy operations against pirates along the
Somali coast
. With
1st Battalion, 4th Marines
as detachment, they were responsible for the 9 September recapturing of
MV
Magellan Star
On 17 September 2012, the 15th MEU was deployed with the
Peleliu
Amphibious Ready Group (
USS
Peleliu
,
USS
Green Bay
, and
USS
Rushmore
as a theater reserve and crisis response force throughout the U.S. Central Command and the
U.S. 5th Fleet
area of responsibility. The unit returned to
Camp Pendleton
13 May 2013.
15th MEU Commanding Officers
[
edit
]
Col.
Ted Hopgood
July 1987-April 1990
[10]
Col. Terrence P. Murray 1990-1992
Col.
Gregory S. Newbold
1992-1993
Col.
Robert R. Blackman Jr.
1993-1995
Col. William A. Whitlow 1995-1997
Col. R.C. Zilmer 1997-2000
[11]
Col.
Thomas D. Waldhauser
2000-2003
Col. T.C. Greenwood 2003-2005
Col.
Brian D. Beaudrault
2005-2008
Col. R.A. Osborn 2008-2011
Col. S.D. Campbell 2011-2013
[12]
LtCol J. R. O’Neal 2013-2014
Col. V.L. Cryer 2014-2016
Col. J.R. Clearfield 2016-2018
[13]