13th Marine Expeditionary Unit
I found this short articel and wondered if anyone can say if this is a good discription of an MEU ??
In civilian speak, a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is what I like to call a mini version of the entire Marine Corps.
There are at least two MEUs deployed around the world in the seas and oceans at all times. They become part of a Naval Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) that is designated as an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) once the MEU has been loaded onto the PHIBRON.
MEUs can respond quickly to any kind of mission or crisis be it humanitarian, rescue, or combat. They carry with them all the equipment and supplies they will need for a mission.
Each MEU has a cycle of 15 months. Once it completes it's cycle, the units assigned to the MEU go back to their parent commands and the cycle begins over.
MEUs are commanded by a Marine colonel.
MEU Cycle:
Build-Up: The 3 months after a MEU returns from a deployment used to select new units for the next deployment.
Work-Up: The newly selected units spend 6 months training together in combat and non-combat skills and performing exercises to certify they have mastered these skills.
A MEU does not deploy unless it has been certified by the Special Operations Capable Certification Exercise (CERTEX or SOCCEX). Once certified the designation Special Operations Capable (SOC) is appended to the name making it MEU (SOC).
Deployment: Following the work-up, the MEU deploys for 6 months. They are available at a moments notice to support any kind of mission or crisis.
Sgt. Brice J. Schlueter, an instructor with Division Schools, provides Marines more hands-on training to use the knowledge learned from a class they received about the M-2, .50-caliber machine gun during a training exercise called Desert Scorpion at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., May 9.
Cpl. Seth C. Allen, 30, a fiscal clerk with supply section, Hq. Bn. from Waco, Texas, practices loading and unloading dummy rounds on the M-2 .50 caliber machine gun after learning about the M-2 .50 caliber, MK-19 heavy grenade launcher at operation Desert Scorpion at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
The Combat Center's Provost Marshal's Office's Special Reaction Team pours into a room at Combat Center Range 111 Wednesday when they conducted urban warfare training in preparation for future operations.
Cpl. Thomas Hammond, a military policeman with the Combat Center's Provost Marshal's Office's Special Reaction Team, scans a room at Combat Center Range 111 with other members of SRT July 29.
Pfc. Christopher Dion Scott, a rifleman with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, from Pine City, Minn., rushes while another Marine lays down covering - fire for him July 28 at Combat Center Range 1A during the Company's training.
Pfc. Chase Hooker, a rifleman with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, rushes as other Marines lay down fire July 28 at Combat Center Range 1A when the company undertook individual rush training.
Pfc. Ronald Sullivan, a rifleman with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, throws a dummy grenade at a target July 28 at Combat Center Range 105A when his company conducted fire team rushes.
Lance Cpl. Gilbert Andrade, a rifleman with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, and a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., lies in the ****e as other Marines with the Company rush behind him July 28 at Combat Center Range 1A.
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms RSS Photo by Lance Cpl. Michael Nerl
Lance Cpl. Gilbert Andrade, a rifleman with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, and a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., lays down coveringfire - for other Marines in his firing team July 28 at Combat Center Range 1A. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms RSS Photo by Lance Cpl. Michael Nerl
2/2 Trains With New Saber ITAS System
Marines from Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, load a Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided missile into a M41 Saber Improved Target Acquisition System during training aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 19. The battalion fired 20 missiles as part of an exercise to familiarize the Marines with the new ITAS weapon system.
Marines from Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, load a Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided missile into a M41 Saber Improved Target Acquisition System during training aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 19. The battalion fired 20 missiles as part of an exercise to familiarize the Marines with the new ITAS weapon system.
Marines from Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, load a Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided missile into a M41 Saber Improved Target Acquisition System during training aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 19. The battalion fired 20 missiles as part of an exercise to familiarize the Marines with the new ITAS weapon system.
Originally Posted by shad0w03
Ah nothing like Camp Ramadi! I almost miss the place.
Great pictures.
Random USMC Photos that I Like
Marines of 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, take part in the hypobaric training as a requirement for altitude training.
Senior Airman Tara Schmidt, aerospace physiology journeyman with 18th Aerospace Medicine Squadron on Kadena Air Base, begins to decompress the hypo baric chamber for Marines of 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, who took part in the hypo baric training as a requirement for altitude training.
Jonathan Herzog, Reconnaissance Marine in Company C, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, gives the thumbs up to let the instructor know his oxygen tank is working as Sgt. Calvin Chandler, also with Company C, attempts to connect his mask to his portable oxygen tank. The Marines practiced hooking up to the portable tanks used for parachute operations.
Marine Corps Sgt. Ty Drage, left, from Marine Corps Security Force Battalion Bangor, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Jacquelyn Atherton practice martial arts drills at Naval Base Kitsap, Bangor. Atherton is the first female, non-hospital corpsman to graduate from the Marine Corps Martial Arts Course.
Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit prepare to disembark the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 264. Iwo Jima is deployed as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group supporting maritime security operations.
Djibouti (April 01, 2009) - A Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) drives away from a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) after landing on the beach during an exercise near Camp Lemonier, Djibouti.
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Evan Johnston (front) and Cpl. Mark Kuhn secure the perimeter during a mass casualty drill at the U.S. Embassy in Djibouti on March 19, 2009. The scenario took about three hours to run through and involved the 9th Provisional Security Force, embassy staff, Djiboutian military service members, police, and the Expeditionary Medical Facility on Camp Lemonier.
Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (special operations capable) (13th MEU(SOC)) don inflatable life vests as they prepare their amphibious assault vehicles to "swim" out to the USS Rushmore, anchored off the coast of Kuwait, Sept. 26. The 13th MEU(SOC) is returning home to Camp Pendleton, Calif., after its deployment to Al Anbar province, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
CAMP PATRIOT, Kuwait – An amphibious assault vehicle from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) hits the surf as it "swims" out to the USS Rushmore, anchored off the coast of Kuwait Sept. 26. The 13th MEU(SOC) is returning home to Camp Pendleton, Calif., after deploying to Al Anbar Province, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Random USMC Photos that I Like
U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 3, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, along with approximately 650 Afghan soldiers and police officers from the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF), prepare to board CH-53D Sea Stallion and CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters at Forward Operating Base Dwyer, Afghanistan, July 2, 2009. The Marines and ANSF are partnered for a major operation in the Helmand Province to transition security responsibilities to the Afghan forces. The Marines and ANSF will move into towns and villages along the Helmand River Valley in an effort to secure the population from the threat of the Taliban and other insurgent intimidation and violence.
U.S. Marines prepare M1A1 Abrams for driving on Bubiyan Island, which is uninhabited, in Kuwait, Nov. 21, 2009. Ground and logistics combat elements of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit landed the day before from the amphibious transport dock ship USS Cleveland and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore. The Marines are assigned to the 1st Marine Division's 1st Tank Battalion. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Scott Dunn
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Buddy I. Dagostino, a forward observer with India Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, surveys range targets during a combined-arms live-fire exercise conducted as part of Exercise Bright Star 2009 in Alexandria, Egypt, on Oct. 14, 2009. The multinational exercise is designed to improve readiness, interoperability, and strengthen the military and professional relationships among U.S., Egyptian and other participating forces.
U.S. Marines with Helicopter Support Team, Combat Logistics Battalion 8 attach an M777A2 Lightweight Howitzer to a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter at the landing zone on Fire Base Fiddler's Green in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Sept. 28, 2009. The Marines are transporting howitzers to broaden 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment's support of Regimental Combat Team 3, whose mission is to conduct counterinsurgency operations with Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Christopher R. Rye/Released)
Flames, dust and debris fly from a makeshift door after Marine combat engineers with Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, detonate an explosive charge during an urban-mobility breaching course at a training area near Camp Buehring, Kuwait Aug. 18. The 22nd MEU is ashore conducting sustainment training in Kuwait and is currently serving as the theater reserve force for U.S. Central Command
MIDDLE EAST (June 2, 2009) Lance Cpl. Curtis Shirey, scout from Flint, Mich., with Light Armored Reconnaissance Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 1/1, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, reloads a magazine during the final firing portion of training in the Middle East. The training refined and refreshed the Marines' fire and maneuvering skills, fire movement and combat marksmanship skills. The 13th MEU and Boxer Amphibious Ready Group are currently on a deployment in support of regional and Maritime Security Operations (MSO). (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Robert C. Medina)
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Shandon Wilson, a rifleman with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, maintains security April 4, 2009, during a security patrol in the abandoned village of Now Zad in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Residents have left their homes in fear for their lives from the strong insurgent presence. The 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, is the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Pete Thibodeau/Released)
A Marine from 2nd Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, conducts a patrol from a forward operating base in Afghanistan to Golestan, a town in Farah, Afghanistan, March 9. The Marines are part of the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. John Kelmell with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Command Element let offs a series of rounds during one of the several tables the Marines had to complete at the unknown distance range held at the Udairi Range Complex Sept. 18, 2007. The Marines and sailors of Command Element are currently deployed as part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) led by Col. Doug Stilwell. (Official Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ezekiel R. Kitandwe)
LAND Robot - Gladiator - Armed
Old info but still interesting
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Science fiction movies have long used robots as a staple of their regular cast, but even now the Marine Corps is working on a machine that will operate forward of the front lines and provide scouting, flank security, direct attack and other tasks that will decrease risks for combat Marines.
The Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle, or Gladiator, is designed to support dismounted infantry and combat engineers during the performance of their mission, across the spectrum of conflict and range of military operations. The Gladiator will provide the Marine Corps' Ground Combat Element with an unmanned tele-operated/semi-autonomous ground vehicle for remoting combat tasks in order to reduce risk to the warfighter and neutralize threats to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
"This system is not intended to replace Marines," said Larry Hennebeck, the Project Officer, who works at Robotic Systems Joint Project Office in Redstone Arsenal, AL. "The Gladiator will give commanders another alternative to sending out Marines on missions that are very dangerous."
The Gladiator will be capable of performing scouting, surveillance, & target acquisition; direct fire; bunker/light-armor destruction; obstacle breaching; nuclear, biological & chemical (NBC) reconnaissance; employment of non-lethal weapons; obscurant delivery; engineer reconnaissance; and transporting ammunition or equipment.
The Gladiator will possess day & night video cameras capable of performing as well as an individual Marine with currently fielded binoculars and thermal imaging equipment; an integrated position locating system and laser rangefinder capable of accurately determining the location of targets; acoustic detection system; and anti-tampering/handling devices.
The operator will direct the Gladiator TUGV from a hand-held unit that controls the various platform/payloads and data reception from the sensors. This will provide the Gladiator with tele-operational capability for remote command and control of the vehicle as well as data display, storage and dissemination.
The Gladiator system will use a modular, plug-and-fight configuration and will be capable of remotely employing a variety of equipment already fielded to infantry and combat engineer units. This equipment includes the Anti-Personnel/Obstacle Breaching System, M240G Medium Machine Gun, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, Shoulder- Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon, Light Vehicle Obscuration Smoke System, Automatic Chemical Agent Detection Alarm, AN/VDR-2 Nuclear Detection System, Multipurpose Cart, etc.
"The Gladiator will significantly enhance the ability of Marines to accomplish assigned mission tasks," said Capt. Robert Parks, the Requirement Officer for the system.
During recent Field User Evaluations by 1st Battalion, 2D Marines held at Camp Lejeune, N.C., the Gladiator had a chance to prove its worth. "The Marines were surprised at the numerous ways the system could be used to enhance tactical level operations," said Hennebeck. The Marines of 1/2 will be employing the systems during CAX 3-04 in January.
This system will increase MAGTF capabilities by:
· Reducing Marine causalities by remoting combat tasks and minimizing risks to individual Marines by eliminating or reducing their exposure to enemy fires, ****y traps, or NBC agents.
· Significantly enhancing the ability of tactical commanders to detect, identify, locate, and neutralize a variety of threats to include enemy force activity, chemical and biological agents, and impassible terrain or unusable routes.
· Providing tactical commanders with real-time combat information, enabling real-time maneuver decision-making at the platoon/company level.
· Increasing our ability to operate at a higher tempo due to the increased speed at which we can conduct operations such as obstacle breaching, patrolling, reconnaissance by force, NBC & Engineer reconnaissance, etc.
· Increasing force lethality by being able to acquire and engage the enemy at extended ranges.
Maximizing Economy of Force efforts by requiring fewer personnel to conduct combat tasks, conserving Marines' strength, and reducing risks in secondary areas/efforts. In this capacity the system will serve as a force multiplier.
Last edited by vor033; 12-17-2009 at 08:59 PM. Reason: Format
M32 Six Pack
The M-32 Multiple shot Grenade Launcher, six-barrelled weapon that can deliver six 40 mm grenades in under three seconds. Marines are fielding the new rapid-fire weapon to troops to boost small-team capabilities to deliver greater indirect firepower.
CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq- Marines with Quick Reaction Force, Headquarters and Support Company, Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, attached to Regimental Combat Team 2, complete the sustained machine gun training and the Multiple Grenade Launcher 32, familiarization, fire and movement exercise.
The training teaches Marines how to properly engage multiple targets performing suppressive fires and implementing a six-round semi-automatic grenade launcher instead of the single shot M203 traditionally used by Marines in combat.
Scout Snipers
Gunnery Sgt. Paul Starner, platoon sergeant for Scout-Sniper Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, holds the new 3 x 12 variable-power Schmidt & Bender M-854155 DS Scout Sniper Day Scope, mounted on the M-40A3 sniper rifle, at Camp Mercury, Iraq March 9. He is credited with the first combat kill with the new scope, and his platoon has killed seven insurgents with it since the battalion arrived in the Fallujah area in January.
Master Sgt. Rod B. Schlosser, a former Magnificent Bastard of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment and now assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5, holds the M-40A1 sniper rifle recovered by Marines of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. Villalobos was in Ramadi when a four-man sniper team was killed on a rooftop June 21, 2004. This rifle was among the weapons taken by insurgents. Snipers from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment killed an insurgent sniper team June 16, almost two years later, and recovered the rifle.
Sgt. Gerald Hooee, Jr., the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Maritime Special Purpose Force scout sniper platoon section leader, prepares to fire a shot from his M40A1 sniper rifle at a confirmation shoot here Aug. 8 to zero his newly issued weapon prior to participating in Training in an Urban Environment Exercise or “TRUEX.” Slowly firing off one round at a time, the snipers would make adjustments to their sniper rifles with the help of their spotter and the SOTG instructors. Throughout the shoot, they fired at targets from distances of approximately 300 to 600 yards to record the data of their groups at different distances
A sniper with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit's (Special Operations Capable)'s Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF) takes aim at a target with his his M40A1 sniper rifle during live-fire training on Udari Range outside Camp Beuhring, Kuwait, Dec. 11, 2005. The 22nd MEU (SOC) is currently in Iraq conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar province.
CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq (August 18, 2005)- Cpl. Matt Orth, a 22-year-old scout sniper with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment stares down the scope of his M40 A3 sniper rifle. The Clearwater, Fla., native is credited with the longest kill of the current seven-month deployment. He killed an insurgent approximately 1,256 yards away in the city of Husaybah, Iraq. He also received a Purple Heart for wounds he received during and attack at Husaybah. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Lucian Friel
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – Demonstrating his proficiency in the art of stalking, Sgt. Dain K. Doughty, a military policeman with the base provost marshal’s office, uses the skills he learned at the Scout Sniper Basic Course to literally “get lost.” Doughty was recently awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for graduating as the 2-06 class honorman with the highest overall average of 93.7 percent. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Adam Johnston
Cpl. Darren R. Smykowski, a 21-year-old from Mentor, Ohio, looks through the scope of his rifle while providing overwatch for Marines from 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment during Operation Industrial Revolution. He is a scout-sniper attached to Headquarters and Service Company serving with Regimental Combat Team 8. Operation Industrial Revolution was designed to disrupt insurgent activity in Fallujah's industrial area. The operation several weapons caches. (photo by Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Zahn)
Marines in the scout sniper basic course are trained to blend into their surroundings. They wear guilley suits made from strips of burlap. They then interweave twigs from their surroundings into the strips of burlap to help them camoflage into their surroundings.
Scout Snipers
Sgt, Andrew Jones (left), instructor, Scout Sniper Basic Course, assists a student during the stalking portion of the 10-week long training at Schofield Barracks, Oct. 13.
Marine scout snipers Sgt. Herbert ******* (left) and Cpl. Geoffrey Flowers conduct surveillance from a rooftop during a foot patrol through a Ramadi area village with fellow Reserve Marines with Company B, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, Dec. 27, 2004. Near the end of their deployment, snipers like ******* and Flowers are passing on valuable lessons learned during Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Photo by Cpl. Paul Leicht
SAQLAWIYAH, Iraq – Sgt. Willis Davis, sniper team leader with STA (Surveillance, Target, and Acquisition) Platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, left, and Cpl. Joseph R. Piner, assistant team leader, observe the terrain from a rooftop here April 26. The snipers serve as the eyes and ears for the battalion, covertly keeping a watchful eye for suspicious activity, such as insurgents laying improvised explosive devices along convoy and patrol transit routes.
Scout Sniper
Staff Sgt. Michael Skina, chief instructor, scout sniper basic training course, 3rd Marine Regimental Schools, instructs the scout sniper students on the boundaries of their field at the Waipia Peninsula for their final stalk. They had no lateral boundaries, and they couldn't get behind the observers.
Marines of Scout Sniper Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Bn., 2nd Marine Regiment, shoot the MK-11 rifle, newest sniper rifle to the Marine Corps, for the first time during training at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., July 9, 2006. The Marines are training with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit for a planned deployment in early 2007. (Official USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Patrick M. Johnson-Campbell)
Marines of Scout Sniper Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Bn., 2nd Marine Regiment, shoot the MK-11 rifle, newest sniper rifle to the Marine Corps, for the first time during training at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., July 9, 2006. The Marines are training with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit for a planned deployment in early 2007. (Official USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Patrick M. Johnson-Campbell)
Scout Snipers from the 26th MEU line up their new MK-11 sniper rifles before firing the weapons for the first time on a range at Fort A.P. Hill, Va. (Official USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Aaron J. Rock)
Marine Corps M1A1 Main Battle Tanks
"The Tank with Ron Burgundy on it" prepares for Operation Pegasus Bridge July 30 at Combat Outpost Chicago. Members of BLT 3/1's Tanks section conducted key aspects of the Operation from July 30 to Aug. 4, including road blocks, presence patrols, and main gun strikes on insurgent caches. The M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank and it's 60 tons of heavy metal also have an unspoken tendency to motivate Marines on the battlefield. Photo by Sgt. Andy Hurt/13th MEU.
Marines from C Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5 let loose with the M-1A1 Main Battle Tank's 120 mm main gun. Tankers recently fired on Camp Fallujah's Eagle Range to zero all their weapons, including lanyard firing some tanks for their first shot. Tanker said all the maintenance and care that goes into keeping the tank rolling is worth the effort when they get the chance to fire the Marine Corps' largest direct-fire weapon.
Marines patrol along side a tank during an infantry and tank integration exercise at range 215 here Nov. 21. The Marines are assigned to Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and are currently participating in the Mojave Viper Exercise.
FALLUJAH, Iraq – Lance. Cpl. Trent Hinchcliff, an M1A1 tank crewman with 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, is currently deployed to western Iraq’s Al Anbar province. The 25-year-old Boise, Id. reservist and his fellow tankers help ground infantry units throughout Fallujah provide security and stability to the once-embattled city.
AL UBAYDI, Iraq- (May 11, 2005) Marines provide security in the urban area of Al Ubaydi. Marines from 3/2 secure Al Ubaydi during operation Matador. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment conducting Security and Stabilization Operations (SASO) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III (OIF III).
Najaf Province, Iraq (Jan. 24, 2005) - Marines from Tank Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), fire their M1A1 Abrams tank main gun in the western desert of Najaf Province, Iraq, during a training exercise. The Marine tank crewmembers train monthly to remain proficient with the M1A1 tank. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Robert K. Blankenship
Najaf Province, Iraq (Jan. 24, 2005) - Marines from Tank Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), fire their M1A1 Abrams tank main gun in the western desert of Najaf Province, Iraq, during a training exercise. The Marine tank crewmembers train monthly to remain proficient with the M1A1 tank. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Robert K. Blankenship
A M1A1 Abrams main battle tank with Alpha Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, currently assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, races its 70-ton bulk across a highway in the western Iraqi province of Al Anbar. The tanks have been a fearsome enemy to the insurgents in Iraq, both in cities and in countryside hovels.
Yeah man, I miss it too!
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