Contributed
CAMP LEJEUNE – U.S. Marines and sailors with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), have scheduled a training exercise on military installations in North Carolina from Dec. 7 to Dec. 22 in preparation for an overseas deployment.
Training events will take place in Elizabethtown, White Lake, Fayetteville and Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue.
In order to provide a realistic training environment, local residents can expect additional noise in and around the vicinity of Elizabethtown, White Lake, Fayetteville and Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue. The noise could be a result from rotary-wing aircraft operations and military vehicle operations. These operations can be expected to occur in the early mornings and late-night hours. While training will not be visible to audiences outside the installation, it is possible to see overflying military aircraft, military vehicles and role players related to the training. Residents of Bladen County may notice military aircraft and personnel from Dec. 16th through Dec. 21.
MEUEX I will enable the 26th MEU to fulfill Pre-Deployment Training Program (PTP) requirements, improving combat readiness by training to MEU Mission Essential Tasks.
The exercise has been coordinated over the past eight months with the following entities: elected officials (federal, state, county, city); law enforcement agencies (federal, state, county, city); fire and Emergency Medical Services agencies (county, city); private and corporate property owners and managers.
The fourteen-day field exercise will be the first Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) exercise with the fully composited 26th MEU and all the subordinate units. Marines and sailors will rehearse tactics, techniques and procedures in order to build and hone their MAGTF warfighting capabilities for the upcoming deployment.
Over the next two weeks, more than 2,200 Marines and sailors from Camp Lejeune are participating in MEUEX 1 from 26 MEU Command Element and subordinate units, Battalion Landing Team (BLT), 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (1/6), Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) 22, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162 Reinforced, Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF), Bravo Company, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), Expeditionary Operations Training Group (EOTG), Navy SEAL Team 10, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) Detachment 461.
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