Special Report: U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic

From the Steps of the Capitol To the Steppes of Eurasia

By MARTIN R. BERNDT

Lt. Gen. Martin R. Berndt is commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic.

From bases on the U.S. East Coast, Marines have made significant contributions to the new global war on terrorism (GWOT) since 9/11 while continuing to meet other ongoing high-priority national-security commitments. Lance corporals worked to detect biological agents in the very heart of the federal government when they dealt with anthrax contamination in Senate office spaces. Reserve Marines left their jobs and families to provide security at our base in Cuba and to assist in the peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo.

The air-ground-logistics team of our Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) demonstrated that they are not bound to the coastal regions of a continent as they engaged al Qaeda and Taliban forces more than 400 miles into landlocked Afghanistan.

The Marine Corps is flexible enough to accomplish this disparate and challenging range of missions--and agile enough to reach distant objectives in time to be effective. Marines and Sailors from U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic (MARFORLANT) manifested these attributes repeatedly during the past year.

Marine Expeditionary Units

Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) continued to validate their expeditionary relevance during the global war on terrorism. MARFORLANT's 22nd, 24th, and 26th MEUs (Special Operations Capable, or SOC) are based in Camp Lejeune, N.C. When they arrive on-scene, they provide tremendous capabilities to joint-force commanders with their rapidly deployable and self-sustaining forces in readiness. Sea-based on amphibious warships, MEUs are unconstrained by regional infrastructure considerations or host-nation restrictions. They are self-sustaining, rapid-response, combined-arms forces, ready for action in a wide range of missions from humanitarian assistance to combat operations.

A year ago, the 26th MEU (SOC) and the West Coast-based 15th MEU (SOC) deployed to the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility (AOR) and directly supported the U.S. Fifth Fleet's Task Force 58 in combat operations against Taliban and al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan. At distances of 750 miles from their warships off the coast of Pakistan, these Marines conducted combat operations against enemy outposts, convoys, and cave complexes in the plains and mountains of Afghanistan. Never before in military history has an amphibious objective area been located so far inland. The great distances demonstrate the Navy-Marine Corps team's ability to project power far beyond the littorals to enemy sanctuaries deep inland.

MEUs are task-organized, air-ground-logistics expeditionary forces. During Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, their organic aviation combat element (ACE) provided close-air support with its AV-8B Harrier attack aircraft and AH-1W Cobra helicopters. KC-130 Hercules aircraft provided the refueling services and cargo transportation needed to extend the operational reach of the MEU. The ACE, reinforced with additional CH-53E heavy-lift helicopters, carried Marines to distant objectives and provided a self-contained resupply capability that demonstrated the MEU's self-sustainability.

The ground combat element, a reinforced infantry battalion of the 26th MEU (SOC), conducted combat operations that began with the seizure and establishment of forward operating base "Rhino" at an isolated airstrip in southern Afghanistan on 26 November. Task Force Sledgehammer was formed from the 15th and 26th MEUs, bringing together light armored vehicles, heavy machine guns mounted on "Humvees" (HMMWVs--high-mobility multiwheeled vehicles), and AH-1W Cobra helicopter gunships for extended combat operations against distant objectives.

The Marines quickly extended their perimeter and interdicted enemy forces. As coalition forces rolled back the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, Task Force Sledgehammer seized Kandahar International Airport (KIA), approximately 500 miles from the sea, on 13 December. Precision raids were conducted with U.S. Army Special Forces. A detention facility was quickly built and operated by the Marines at KIA. Back at Camp Lejeune, Marines and Sailors from the 2nd Force Service Support Group quickly formed and led the nucleus of the Joint Task Force that would receive enemy detainees at a camp at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Airfield security ensured the arrival of follow-on supplies and forces delivered by U.S. Air Force C-17 and C-130 transport aircraft. Leaving their howitzers aboard ship, Marines from the MEU's artillery battery re-opened and provided security at the American Embassy compound in Kabul.

Self-Sustained Operations

The logistics arm of the MEU, the combat service support element (CSSE), provided support for approximately 3,600 coalition forces for nearly two months; a MEU is normally self-sustaining for 15 days ashore. Integrated Navy medical and dental personnel from the MEU served the Marines and coalition partners, and conducted civic-action projects throughout the time of their deployment to the region.

The 22nd MEU (SOC) relieved the 26th MEU (SOC) and continued to provide flexible response options to the joint force commander. The 22nd MEU (SOC) honed its skills using naval gunfire in combined-arms exercises in Djibouti. It also reinforced the American Embassy in Karachi, Pakistan, after a terrorist car bomb was detonated but failed to penetrate Embassy grounds. Aboard Navy warships, the MEU remained poised in the region, ready for combat operations, non-combatant evacuations, reinforcement, and other missions on a moment's notice.

As an extension of the Secretary of Defense's continuing transformation initiatives, the Marine Corps has embraced a complementary relationship with the U.S. Special Operations Command. It is envisioned that the MEU (SOC) and special operations forces will conduct integrated operations under a joint force commander from bases at sea and ashore and to mature relationships that will help guarantee improved mutual support and cooperation in the future. In the global war on terrorism, this close relationship portends increased operational flexibility and the ability to strike quickly to take the fight directly to terrorist bases and sanctuaries.

Leaping from the pitching deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Northern Arabian Sea, pilots assigned to the "Thunderbolts" of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 were among the first to see action against the Taliban and al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan. The Thunderbolts dropped more than 450,000 pounds of ordnance, of which 95 percent consisted of precision-guided munitions.

Seven hundred combat sorties were flown in five months. Of the 5,300 total hours flown, 3,600 hours were devoted to combat missions. The squadron chalked up a 100 percent sortie completion rate in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and executed 1,900 arrested landings aboard the "TR." Additionally, this carrier deployment set a post-WWII record for continuous time at sea with 159 days of sustained combat and combat-support operations.
Marine air control squadrons (MACSs) have deployed throughout the U.S. Central Command AOR in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to support coalition efforts in Afghanistan. The MACSs' mission is to detect, identify, and control the intercept of hostile aircraft and missiles, and to provide navigational assistance to friendly aircraft. Additionally, the MACSs provide continuous all-weather, radar, non-radar approach, departure, en route and tower air traffic control services to friendly aircraft. Marine Reserve MACSs also were activated and continue to serve in the region.

Total Force Marines

During the past year, Marine Corps reservists have performed absolutely critical missions during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Noble Eagle. As of late September, 3,807 Marines were still activated in support of the global war on terrorism. This number includes 1,207 Marines who are either Individual Mobilization Augmentees or Individual Ready Reservists.

While not engaged specifically in the GWOT, a company of U.S. Marines provided support for Operation Rapid Guardian 02-3 along the borders of Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Reserve Marines from G Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, based at Dover, N.J., conducted peace-support operations and helped to sustain peace in Kosovo.

Operation Rapid Guardian rehearses the deployment of a Strategic Reserve Force to augment NATO's ongoing peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo. The Marine Corps usually supports this task with Marines from a deployed MEU on station in the Mediterranean Sea. In this year's exercise, MARFORLANT sent a company of the Alert Contingency Battalion (ACB) from Camp Lejeune, N.C.--2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, which was activated in January, had been designated the ACB.

The ACB, a unit of the Alert Contingency Marine Air Ground Task Force, is a II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) asset that stands ready to provide the United States with command and control, ground, air, and combat-service support capabilities immediately in the event of a crisis or contingency. Rapid Guardian 02-3 marked the first time the ACB has been used as part of an operational rehearsal.

Instead of the usual four CH-53E heavy-lift helicopters on MEU deployments this past year, the Marine Corps deployed six to increase the MEU's long-range raid capability that the "Super Stallion" helicopters help to provide.

MARFORLANT turned to Reserve Forces to help meet this requirement. Marines from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772 of Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pa., were activated and attached to the 24th MEU. The squadron, activated on 28 January, integrated its Super Stallions into Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263, the MEU's composite ACE. The squadron set a precedent for Marine Corps Reserve Forces when it earned the Special Operations Capable designation during its workup with the 24th MEU.

Reserve KC-130 aircraft also supported deployed MEUs in a variety of ways this past year. Regular reservists provided relief to the high operational tempo of their active-duty counterparts by flying a variety of missions in the theater. A detachment of four KC-130s was activated from the VMGR-452 "Yankees" of Newburgh, N.Y. Two aircraft from the detachment supported the 24th MEU (SOC) during its workups at home and during operations in the Mediterranean. The squadron conducted parachute operations, aerial refueling of CH-53s, assault support, and logistics missions, and also carried Interim Fast Attack Vehicles (IFAVs) for airfield- seizure operations. During these operations, the aircraft flew back to their bases in New York frequently to rotate crews--enabling many reserve Marines to participate in operations and training.

In early November 2001, two platoons from B Company (minus), 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, in Bossier City, La., were activated and deployed to Cuba to provide installation security and free two active-duty Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST) platoons for other missions. Some of these Louisiana Marines also reinforced the security at civilian shipyards.

Two more platoons from B Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines arrived in Cuba on 19 March to relieve their fellow Leathernecks. The replacements, approximately 110 Marines and Sailors from Austin and Houston, Texas, were activated on 31 January and are expected to remain in Guantanamo Bay until January 2003.

Poised and Ready

Most Americans were shocked by the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and their aftermath, but the U.S. Marine Corps began to focus more intensely on anti-terrorism after the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. The Corps reorganized some of its units and posts into FAST platoons to meet the new threat demonstrated by that bombing.

The Corps tightened its focus when the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) was reactivated as the anti-terrorism (AT) command within U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic on 29 October 2001 at the direction of Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones. The reactivation combined the skills of the Marine Corps Security Guard Battalion (MSGBN), the Marine Corps Security Force Battalion (MCSFBN), the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF), and the newly formed Anti-Terrorism Battalion (ATBN) into a single unit whose main function is to conduct anti-terrorism operations.

The mission of the 4th MEB (AT) is to provide designated supported commanders with rapidly deployable, specially trained, and sustainable forces that are capable of detecting terrorist activity, taking the steps needed to deter terrorism, defending designated facilities against terrorism, and conducting initial incidence response in the event of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear terrorist attacks worldwide.

With the reactivation of the 4th MEB (AT), the Marine Corps has established a command whose single focus and expertise is anti-terrorism. Anti-terrorism is defined as measures used to reduce the vulnerability of individuals and property to terrorist acts, to include limited response and containment by local military forces. By taking this step, the Marine Corps has moved anti-terrorism from a series of measures taken by local units to an operational concept that has a single unit that specializes in all aspects of anti-terrorism and is capable of conducting operations worldwide.

Since its creation, the 4th MEB (AT) and its subordinate units have conducted a series of anti-terrorism operations and exercises worldwide. These operations include preexisting, ongoing missions executed by 4th MEB (AT) units, as well as new missions using innovative operational techniques executed by the newly formed ATBN. The Marine Corps Security Guard Battalion continues to provide internal security at U.S. embassies around the globe. The Marine Corps Security Force Battalion continues to rotate platoons to Europe and the Middle East as a rapid-response anti-terrorism force. It has provided reinforcement for U.S. embassies and has improved security for naval logistics shipping passing through dangerous waters worldwide. Additionally, it provides highly trained Marines to safeguard naval strategic weapons and nuclear fuel.

The Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF) has conducted identification and decontamination operations on Capitol Hill as part of Operation Noble Eagle. The newly formed AT Battalion has deployed an AT task force to guard the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, and has already rotated replacements for that force three times.

The Marine Corps Security Force Battalion, headquartered in Norfolk, Va., provides armed anti-terrorism and physical security-trained personnel to high-value naval installations or units. The battalion maintains a worldwide presence at 11 different sites from Keflavik, Iceland, to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Bahrain in the Arabian Gulf. These Marines protect key naval assets, including strategic weapons, command-and-control facilities, and naval-support activities.

The Marine Corps Security Force Battalion is composed of more than 2,300 Marines and Sailors stationed around the world. The mission of Marine Corps Security Forces is to detect, deter, and defend against threats, with a focus on anti-terrorism. The Marines do not see their mission as passive protection; it could be likened, rather, to setting a trap for any foe entering their area of responsibility. Each Marine is highly trained in counter-surveillance, physical-security operations, urban-combat techniques, and martial arts. They also are equipped with advanced security systems, including chemical alarms and explosives-detection technology.

The 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in Japan, Iraq's suspected possession of biological weapons, and the breakdown of controls on weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in the former Soviet Union revealed that the threat of biological terrorism has significantly increased in recent years. In light of the potential for catastrophic consequences posed by chemical or biological agents, the Department of Defense has focused on preventing WMD incidents; however, it also must be able to respond to the consequences of such an attack.

In recognition of this requirement the Marine Corps activated the CBIRF in 1996. CBIRF is manned, trained, and equipped to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield-explosive terrorist incidents.

As a national asset, the CBIRF was deployed in support of national events such as the Olympic games and presidential inaugurations. CBIRF recently supported civil authorities in Washington, D.C., by responding to the anthrax contamination on Capitol Hill.

CBIRF deploys at the direction of the president to provide an initial-response capability. The Force's "first-responder" capabilities include: detection, identification, search, and extraction of casualties; full technical decontamination of personnel in large numbers; medical care of chemical and trauma casualties; medical advice and assistance to local authorities; and urban rescue. The key element that distinguishes CBIRF is that it is capable of performing all of these functions in a contaminated environment.

"In Every Clime and Place"

In the past year, Marines were challenged to operate in areas far beyond the littoral regions. We enhanced our strategic agility, operational reach, and the tactical flexibility to enable joint, allied, and coalition operations. U.S. geographic combatant commanders were provided Marine Air Ground Task Forces whose size could be scaled to meet operational requirements. These combined-arms forces were interoperable, helped to shape the international security environment, responded quickly to conflicts, and prosecuted forcible-entry operations.

In the coming year, the men and women of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic stand ready to promote peace and defeat America's enemies wherever they may be. In the words of The Marines' Hymn, we are ready to fight and win "in every clime and place ..." where we can take a gun! *