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05-16-03, 06:27 PM
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usmc/ii-mef.htm
II Marine Expeditionary Force
U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South
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The II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF), one of three MEF's in the Marine Corps, is a combined arms force consisting of ground, air, and logistics forces possessing the capability of projecting offensive combat power ashore while sustaining itself in combat without external assistance for a period of 60 days.
With a strength in excess of 47,000 Marines and Sailors, II MEF is representative of the largest and most powerful Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). II MEF is comprised of four basic components: (1) II MEF Command Element containing personnel and equipment necessary for effective planning and execution of operations; (2) a ground combat element - the 2d Marine Division; (3) aviation combat element - the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing; and (4) a combat service support element - the 2d Force Service Support Group.
The 2d Marine Division is also located at Camp Lejeune. It consists of a headquarters battalion, three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, an amphibious assault vehicle battalion, a tank battalion, a light armored reconnaissance battalion, and a combat engineer battalion. The total unit strength of the 2d Marine Division is about 16,000.
The 2d Marine Aircraft Wing (2d MAW) is headquartered at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, with subordinate units located at MCAS New River, N.C. and MCAS Beaufort, S.C. The 2d MAW includes a Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron, an air control group, a support group, one combined fighter-attack and all weather fighter-attack group, one light attack group, and two helicopter groups. There are also aerial refueling and air defense capabilities. In total, 2d MAW has nearly 400 aircraft.
The 2d Force Service Support (2d FSSG) is also located at Camp Lejeune. In addition to its headquarters battalion, it is composed of the following battalions,: landing support, maintenance, motor transport, supply, engineer support, medical and dental.
United States Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH), headquartered in Miami, Florida, is the US Marine Corps component of the US Southern Command. Forces are provided by II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The Lieutenant General who serves as Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces, South, has additional duties as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Policies, and Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, DC. USSOUTHCOM's Marine component is represented in Miami, Fla. by a small planning and liaison element. In addition, the Marine provides an immediate reaction riverine capable forces ready to conduct training for allied forces; and support to other Marine forces in USSOUTHCOM’s area of operational responsibility.
While II MEF is included within the operational force structure of U.S. Atlantic Command (USACOM) and engages in operations and exercises throughout the USACOM area, it routinely commits operating forces in support of other U.S. unified and NATO commands. II MEF is, in fact, available for and prepared to respond to contingency requirements worldwide.
In addition to the option of being employed in its entirety as a MEF-sized unit, II MEF has the capability of forming tasked organized MAGTFs of lesser size such as a MEF (Forward), a brigade-sized MAGTF about one-third the size of a MEF, or a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), about one-third the size of a MEF (Forward). The size and composition of any MAGTF will be dependent upon the mission assigned. One mission that could be assigned to the MEF (Forward) would be assignment for planning, deployment, and utilization of equipment stored aboard Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS). The MPS program involves the forward deployment of the MPS Squadron of four or five ships loaded with a brigade's worth of combat equipment and supplies and the airlifting of the MEF (Forward) to the designated objective area to link up with the MPS Squadron. At the same time, tactical aircraft of the MEF (Forward) are flight ferried to an airfield in or near the area of operation. The MEF (Forward) can be sustained for 30 days by the supplies aboard the ships.
The only routinely deployed MAGTFs, the 22d, 24th and 26th MEUs deploy on a rotating basis to the Mediterranean Sea area to serve as the landing force for the Commander, 6th Fleet. The MEU consists of approximately 2,200 Marines and Sailors, is capable of rapid response in a variety of possible contingencies, and if the situation requires, can serve as the forward element of a larger MAGTF.
II Marine Expeditionary Force
U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South
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The II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF), one of three MEF's in the Marine Corps, is a combined arms force consisting of ground, air, and logistics forces possessing the capability of projecting offensive combat power ashore while sustaining itself in combat without external assistance for a period of 60 days.
With a strength in excess of 47,000 Marines and Sailors, II MEF is representative of the largest and most powerful Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). II MEF is comprised of four basic components: (1) II MEF Command Element containing personnel and equipment necessary for effective planning and execution of operations; (2) a ground combat element - the 2d Marine Division; (3) aviation combat element - the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing; and (4) a combat service support element - the 2d Force Service Support Group.
The 2d Marine Division is also located at Camp Lejeune. It consists of a headquarters battalion, three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, an amphibious assault vehicle battalion, a tank battalion, a light armored reconnaissance battalion, and a combat engineer battalion. The total unit strength of the 2d Marine Division is about 16,000.
The 2d Marine Aircraft Wing (2d MAW) is headquartered at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, with subordinate units located at MCAS New River, N.C. and MCAS Beaufort, S.C. The 2d MAW includes a Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron, an air control group, a support group, one combined fighter-attack and all weather fighter-attack group, one light attack group, and two helicopter groups. There are also aerial refueling and air defense capabilities. In total, 2d MAW has nearly 400 aircraft.
The 2d Force Service Support (2d FSSG) is also located at Camp Lejeune. In addition to its headquarters battalion, it is composed of the following battalions,: landing support, maintenance, motor transport, supply, engineer support, medical and dental.
United States Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH), headquartered in Miami, Florida, is the US Marine Corps component of the US Southern Command. Forces are provided by II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The Lieutenant General who serves as Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces, South, has additional duties as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Policies, and Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, DC. USSOUTHCOM's Marine component is represented in Miami, Fla. by a small planning and liaison element. In addition, the Marine provides an immediate reaction riverine capable forces ready to conduct training for allied forces; and support to other Marine forces in USSOUTHCOM’s area of operational responsibility.
While II MEF is included within the operational force structure of U.S. Atlantic Command (USACOM) and engages in operations and exercises throughout the USACOM area, it routinely commits operating forces in support of other U.S. unified and NATO commands. II MEF is, in fact, available for and prepared to respond to contingency requirements worldwide.
In addition to the option of being employed in its entirety as a MEF-sized unit, II MEF has the capability of forming tasked organized MAGTFs of lesser size such as a MEF (Forward), a brigade-sized MAGTF about one-third the size of a MEF, or a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), about one-third the size of a MEF (Forward). The size and composition of any MAGTF will be dependent upon the mission assigned. One mission that could be assigned to the MEF (Forward) would be assignment for planning, deployment, and utilization of equipment stored aboard Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS). The MPS program involves the forward deployment of the MPS Squadron of four or five ships loaded with a brigade's worth of combat equipment and supplies and the airlifting of the MEF (Forward) to the designated objective area to link up with the MPS Squadron. At the same time, tactical aircraft of the MEF (Forward) are flight ferried to an airfield in or near the area of operation. The MEF (Forward) can be sustained for 30 days by the supplies aboard the ships.
The only routinely deployed MAGTFs, the 22d, 24th and 26th MEUs deploy on a rotating basis to the Mediterranean Sea area to serve as the landing force for the Commander, 6th Fleet. The MEU consists of approximately 2,200 Marines and Sailors, is capable of rapid response in a variety of possible contingencies, and if the situation requires, can serve as the forward element of a larger MAGTF.