NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — More than 4,500 Sailors and Marines serving in the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) deployed Monday.
The deployment for the Navy-Marine Corps team is scheduled to last seven months in support of maritime security operations, crisis response and theater security cooperation, while also providing a forward naval presence in Europe and the Middle East.
The Kearsarge ARG consists of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), the amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24), the dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 2 and FST 8, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26, Tactical Air Control Squadron 21, components of Naval Beach Group 2 and the embarked staff of Amphibious Squadron 6.
The 22nd MEU is comprised of approximately 2,500 Marines and Sailors and includes a command element, ground combat element, aviation combat element, and logistics combat element.
Kearsarge and Arlington are homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, and Fort McHenry is homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. The 22nd MEU is stationed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
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