Country United States | ||
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Allegiance United States of America Branch United States Marine Corps Type Marine Air-Ground Task Force Part of 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Garrison/HQ Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune | ||
The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a brigade (a formation) of the United States Marine Corps. It is part of II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). It advertises itself as a "middleweight" crises response force of choice in the European and Southern Command Areas of Operation. It is able to "operate independently, as a service component, or to lead a Joint Task Force". Self-sufficient and interoperable, the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade possesses a mix of command and control, combat power and specialized logistics. Operating as part of the greater Marine Corps team and with support from the United States Navy and other services, it can provide operational reach.
Contents
Current subordinate units
History
In 1991 the 2nd MEB made the first test of the Norway Air-Landed Marine Expeditionary Brigade (NALMEB), comprised completely of Marine Corps Reserve units as Operation Desert Storm was getting under way. The exercise was designated Battle Griffin and took place in February–March 1991. The force comprised HQ Company 25th Marines, 3/25 Marines, Co E, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, and 1/14 Marine Artillery (Batteries HQ, Alpha, and Bravo).
The 2nd MEB became Task Force Tarawa, commanded by Brigadier General Richard F. Natonski, for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and, as TF Tarawa, was thus part of the 2003 invasion of Iraq under I Marine Expeditionary Force. During the invasion 2nd MEB fought the Battle of Nasiriyah. It became Task Force Leatherneck, commanded by BGen Lawrence Nicholson during the 2009–10 deployment to Afghanistan for NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). In 2010, TF Leatherneck spearheaded the Battle of Marjah, the largest battle since the start of the Afghan Campaign.