Found 35 product(s) for Camp Lejeune logos (1-8 of 35)
Camp Lejeune logos
1st Battalion 10th Marines T-shirt 1st Battalion, 10th Marines (1/10) is an artillery battalion comprising four firing batteries and a headquarters battery. 1st battalion, 10th Marines is stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and fall under the command of the 10th Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division. 10th Marines primary weapon system is the M198 Howitzer with a maximum effective range of 30 km and they are currently transitioning to the M777 lightweight howitzer.
History
World War II
Activated on November 1, 1940 at San Diego, California, as the 1st Battalion, 10th Marines (1/10) and were assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade, Fleet Marine Force. On February 1, 1941, the 2nd Marine Brigade was renamed the 2nd Marine Division.
During January 1942, 1/10 was deployed to American Samoa and detached from the 2nd Marine Division. In November 1942, they were redeployed to Guadalcanal and attached to the 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force; and in December 1942, reassigned to the 9th Marines.
The 1st Battalion, 10th Marines participated in the following World War II campaigns: Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa and subsequently in the occupation of Japan from September 1945 to June 1946.
During July 1946, 1/10 was relocated to MCB Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; then deactivated on November 18, 1947.
They were then reactivated on December 1, 1948 at MCB Camp Lejeune as the 1st Battalion, 10th Marines.
1960s-1980s
1/10 deployed to Cuba in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis from October to December 1962.
In the late-1970s and early-1980s, 1st battalion, 10th Marines were deployed to Europe for participation in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercises.
In 1983, Charlie Battery was deployed to Beirut, Lebanon. They lost a number of members in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing.
During the 1980s, 1st battalion, 10th Marines became a Cold Weather trained unit, conducting training at Fort Drum, New York and above the Arctic Circle. They also transitioned to the 155mm Howitzer during this time period.
1990s
The 1/10 participated in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Southwest Asia from August 1990 to February 1991.
A Detachment from B Battery aboard the USS Iwo Jima (LPH 2) during MARG 2-92 participated in Operation Provide Promise from July to November 1992.
From August to October 1994, an element of 1/10 participated in Operation Support Democracy and Uphold Democracy in Haiti.
Global War on Terror
In February 2003, 1/10 deployed to Kuwait then participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, in Iraq in March 2003. During the invasion they took part in the Battle of Nasiriyah.
[0 in stock]
1st Battalion 2nd Marines T-shirt 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina consisting of approximately 900 Marines and Sailors. They fall under the command of the 2nd Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division.
History
Early years
The 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines was activated on January 1, 1933 at Camp Haitian, Haiti and spend the next year and a half in Haiti until its deactivation in 1934.
World War II
Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the battalion was reactivated deployed to the Pacific theater in June 1942. While there, the unit participated in the bloody "island hopping" campaign, fighting at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. After the war, 1/2 spent a brief period on occupation duty in Japan, including Nagasaki, before returning to Camp Lejeune where it stood down in November 1947.
1950s - 1990s
Reactivated again in October 1949, the battalion has since regularly deployed to the Caribbean and Mediterranean regions. 1/2 has seen operational service during the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), Dominican intervention (1965), operations in the Persian Gulf (1988),Operation Eastern Exit Somalia evacuation (1991), Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm (1990-91), Haitian refugee operation (1992), Somalia (1993), and Cuba (1994). The unit has also deployed with the Unit Deployment Program and Camp Lejeune-based MEUs.
Global War on Terror
In January 2002, the Marines of Bravo Company were recalled off of Christmas leave after completing their six month Unit Deployment Program (UDP) to Okinawa. The Marines were sent to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba to provide security for the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, including Camp X-Ray.
The battalion saw combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of Task Force Tarawa in 2003 and with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2004, having combat operations in Iskandariyah, Musayyib, Haswa, and Jerf As Sakhr, located in the Babil province. In the summer of 2006, the battalion completed their third tour in Iraq as part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in Hīt located within the Al Anbar province and deployed again the following year in March 2007.
[0 in stock]
1st Battalion, 6th Marines T-shirt The 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (1/6) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. It consists of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. They fall under the 6th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division of the II Marine Expeditionary Force.
History
World War I
The battalion was activated on July 11, 1917 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia as the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. They deployed to France from September to October 1917 and were assigned to the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Army), American Expeditionary Force.
From December 1918 to July 1919, 1/6 participated in the Occupation of the Rhineland. They relocated to Quantico, Virginia in August 1919 and were deactivated on 20 August 1919.
1922 - 1942
1/6 was reactivated on June 12, 1922 and participated in maneuvers at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. From June-July 1922, they were assigned to the Marine Corps Expeditionary Force.
In January to September 1925 they deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They returned to Norfolk, Virginia and were deactivated on October 1, 1925.
Reactivated on March 29, 1927 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they deployed from March to June 1927 to San Diego, California. 1/6 was again deactivated in March 1929.
Reactivated on September 9, 1934 at Norfolk, Virginia, 1/6 relocated to San Diego during September to October 1934 and then deployed to Shanghai, China in August 1937 where they were assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade, Fleet Marine Force. They returned to San Diego during February to April 1936. On February 1, 1941, the 2nd Marine Brigade was re-designated as the 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force (FMF).
1/6 deployed during May to July 1941 to Reykjavík and was re-assigned to the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade.
World War II
1/6 relocated during March 1942 to San Diego, California and were reassigned to the 2nd Marine Division, FMF. From October to November 1942 they deployed to Wellington, New Zealand. They participated in the following World War II campaigns: Guadalcanal, Southern Solomons, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa. In September 1945, they deployed to Nagasaki, Japan where they participated in the Occupation of Japan from September 1945 to June 1946.
1946 - 2001
In July 1946, 1/6 relocated to Camp Pendleton, California and were reassigned to the 3rd Marine Brigade, FMF. Then in July 1947, they were reassigned to the 1st Marine Division and were deactivated on October 1, 1947.
1/6 reactivated on October 7, 1949 at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and were assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. They have subsequently deployed at various times as Battalion Landing Team 1/6 in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean from January 1950.
They participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis in October to November 1962 and in the intervention in the Dominican Republic from April to June 1965.
Elements of 1/6 deployed to Panama in January to July 1989 in support of Operation Just Cause.
1/6 participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Global War on Terror
Marines of Bravo Company, 1/6, clear an abandon house during a weapons sweep in Iraq.In 2004, 1st Battalion 6th Marines, as the ground combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, deployed to Oruzgan Province in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
In 2005, 1/6 deployed to Fallujah, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They deployed again in 2006-2007 to Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
In 2007, 1/6 became Battalion Landing Team 1/6 and attached to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
In 2008, 1/6 deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan (March-September 2008) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. During its deployment, the battalion reinforced British and Afghan forces in the Helmand Province campaign. Most combat operations took place in the Taliban-held town of Garmsir.
[0 in stock]
1st Battalion, 8th Marines T-shirt 1st Battalion, 8th Marines (1/8) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. Nicknamed "The Beirut Battalion," they fall under the command of the 8th Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division. History Activated April 1, 1940 at San Diego, California the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines was assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade. The 2nd Marine Brigade was re-designated February 1, 1941 as 2nd Marine Division. 1st Battalion, 8th Marines was assigned during December 1941 to 2d Marine Brigade, 2d Marine Division. Deployed during January 1942 to American Samoa and detached from the 2nd Marine Division, they participated in the following World War II campaigns: Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa. It deployed during September 1945 to Nagasaki, Japan, and participated in the occupation of Japan from September 1945 – June 1946. They relocated during June-July 1946 to MCB Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and were deactivated November 18, 1947. 1st Battalion, 8th Marines participated as part of the multinational peace keeping force in Lebanon, May – November 1983. On Sunday, October 23, 1983, 1/8 was the main victim of what came to be known as the Beirut Bombing when a truck bomb was detonated at its headquarters at the airport in Beirut. The battalion participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in Southwest Asia during December 1990 through April 1991. Elements participated in support of Operation Provide Promise and Deny Flight, Bosnia, September – October 1993 and January 1994, Operation Sea Signal in Cuba, June - July 1994, in support of Operation Support Democracy, Caribbean Area, May – July 1994, and Operation Silver Wake in 1997. In March 2003 Battalion Landing Team 1/8 departed Camp Lejeune, North Carolina with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The battalion deployed in support of combat operations in Mosul, Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion would also take part in training exercises in Albania and Djibouti in the summer of 2003. Prior to its redeployment elements of the battalion inserted into Roberts International Airport and the port facility in Monrovia, Liberia. Lima company, 1/8 conducted airfield security operations as part of Joint Task Force Liberia in an effort to prevent rebel factions from ousting President Charles Taylor. The battalion would eventually return to Camp Lejeune in late October, 2003 The battalion deployed in June 2004 to Iraq. They conducted combat operations in Al Anbar Province and was one of the lead battalions during Operation Phantom Fury in November 2004 leading the assault into Fallujah.
[48 in stock]
1st Battalion, 9th Marines T-shirt The 1st Battalion 9th Marines (1/9) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War II, it served until the mid-1990s when it was deactivated to make room for one of three light armor reconnaissance battalions. During the Vietnam War, 1/9 sustained the highest casualty rate in Marine Corps history.
In late 2005, the battalion was once again activated and attached to the 8th Marine Regiment at MCB Camp Lejeune. Although the first full company has deployed, 1/9 was not expected to be ready for deployment as a battalion until May 2008. On April 19, 2007, 1/9 was officially stood up with all of its subordinate units fully manned.
History
World War II
The battalion was activated on March 1, 1942 at San Diego, California and were assigned to the 2nd Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division.They were reassigned during August 1942 to Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet and shortly thereafter relocated during September 1942 to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division. They deployed during January-February 1943 to Auckland, New Zealand and from there participated in the following World War II Campaigns: Bougainville Campaign, Northern Solomons, Guam and the battle of Iwo Jima. Following the surrender of Japan the battalion was detached during December 1945 from the 3rd Marine Division and returned during December 1945 to Camp Pendleton, California. They were formally deactivated on December 31, 1945.
Vietnam War
The battalion endured the longest sustained combat and suffered the highest killed in action (KIA)" rate in Marine Corps history, especially during the Battle of July Two. The battalion was engaged in combat for 47 months and 7 days, from June 15, 1965 to October 19, 1966 and December 11, 1966 to July 14, 1969. 1/9 sustained casualties during its entire Vietnam service. Based on a typical battalion strength of 800 Marines and Navy hospital corpmen, 93.63% (747) were Killed In Action (KIA) and 0.25% (2) were Missing In Action (MIA).
The 1980s & 1990s
During most of this time period, the battalion rotated between Camp Pendelton, California and Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan . This consisted of six months over seas and 18 months in California.
Deactivated on September 9, 1994 and redesignated 2nd Battalion 1st Marines. The battalion remained inactive from 1994 through 2004.
Global War on Terror
Marines started checking into 6th Marine regiment in April 2005, to start forming 1st Battalion 9th Marines. In April 2006, after only a 30 day work-up cycle, Alpha Company deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and completed a successful six month deployment to Forward Operating Base Grizzly in Camp Ashraf, Iraq. During this time the company conducted security and stabilization operations north of Al Khalis in the Diyala Governorate, working jointly with Military Police, Cavalry and Field Artillery units from the National Guard. Alpha company returned in October 2006 without the loss of any Marines. 1st Battalion 9th Marines was officially reactivated in April 2007. In March 2008, the Battalion deployed to Al Anbar Province on a 7 month deployment, and took over sole responsibility of Ar Ramadi and all security missions in the immediate area. The Battalion was divided into Police Transition Teams (PTT) and worked directly with Iraqi Police developing them into a more efficient professional police force to provide a more safe and secure living environment for the local populace. 1/9 returned from deployment in October 2008.
[0 in stock]
22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit T-shirt The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU) is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced infantry battalion, a composite helicopter squadron and a logistics combat element. The 22nd MEU is currently based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and falls under the command of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. The 22nd MEU holds the distinction of being the most decorated of the Marine Corps' seven MEUs. History 1980s The 22nd MEU was activated on December 1, 1982, as the 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU). This original activation was actually a redesignation of the 32nd MAU, which had been deployed regularly throughout the Caribbean and Mediterranean regions for some twenty years. Additionally, the 32nd MAU had operated within Lebanon. During Operation Urgent Fury, the MAU participated with a number of helicopter and surface landings on the island of Grenada, eventually occupying over 75% of the island. Redesignated the 22nd MAU, it deployed with the 24th and 26th MAUs in numerous operations and exercises throughout the 1980s, with the "Amphibious" moniker being dropped in favor of "Expeditionary" on February 5, 1988. Additionally, in 1986, the MAU was the third MAU designated Special Operations-Capable (SOC). 1990s In the 1990s, the 22nd MEU participated in operations in Liberia, Zaire, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone. Additionally, the MEU participated in peacekeeping missions in the Balkans region. Global War on Terror The 22nd MEU took part in several anti-terrorist missions in the Central Command theater, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and also launched life-saving humanitarian efforts in the African nation of Djibouti. In 2004, they again deployed to Afghanistan where the unit inserted deep in Afghanistan's remote Oruzgan Province where it established Forward Operating Base Ripley. For four months, the MEU prosecuted an aggressive campaign against Taliban and anti-coalition factions in the area. The 2005-2006 deployment saw the Marines and sailors of the 22nd MEU in Iraq, battling insurgents from a forward operating base in and around the ancient city of Hīt (pronounced "heet"). Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, took the fight to the enemy, MSSG-22 worked to fix roads and other critical infrastructure in the area. Over the course of its time in Iraq, the MEU participated in 14 named operations and uncovered vast quantities of insurgent arms, ammunition and ordnance. From September 25 to October 11, 2007, AV-8B Harrier II's from the 22nd MEU flew 70 combat missions over Afghanistan providing aerial reconnaissance, close air support and convoy escort in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.[2] Following the impact of Cyclone Sidr on November 15, 2007, the 22nd MEU, onboard the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) moved off the coast of Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal and provided humanitarian assistance to those affected by the cyclone.[3] The 22nd MEU is scheduled to deploy in May 2009 to relieve the 26th MEU which deployed in August 2008. 22nd MEU will begin six months of training in September 2008 in preparation for the deployment. The MEU will be composed of Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines and from the Combat Logistics Battalion 22, as well as MV-22 Osprey aircraft from VMM-263.
[24 in stock]
24th Marine Expeditionary Unit T-shirt The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced infantry battalion, a composite helicopter squadron and an MEU service support group. The 24th MEU is currently based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
History
Early years
What is today the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) was activated at various times as the 34th Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) to participate in exercises and operations in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Caribbean.
In May 1982, it was redesignated the 24th MAU and served twice as part of the multinational peace-keeping force in Lebanon (October 1982 through February 1983, and May through November 1983). The 24th MAU lost 221 in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing.
It continued to make routine six-month deployments to the Mediterranean during the next six years while also providing forces for operations in the Persian Gulf.
The 24th MAU was redesignated the 24th MEU in February 1988.
1990s
On April 16, 1991, following Operation Desert Storm, elements of the 24th MEU, along with other U.S. and allied forces, were mobilized to complete a mission of mercy on behalf of the Kurdish people in Turkey and northern Iraq. During Operation Provide Comfort, the MEU delivered food, supplies and medicine and transported Kurds to "safe havens" and temporary tent cities.
The 24th MEU took part in Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope, in Somalia during March and April 1993. The MEU furthered its mission by providing humanitarian aid to the Somalis by transporting much needed food and aid to many remote areas of the country.
The MEU then turned eastward, entering the Adriatic Sea, where from May to June 1994, it served in support of Operation Provide Promise and Operation Deny Flight in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Immediately upon returning from its six-month deployment, the 24th MEU redeployed to the waters of the Caribbean, off the coast of Haiti. The MEU served there from July to August 1994 as part of Operation Support Democracy.
In June 1995, elements of the 24th MEU launched a daring, daylight Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel mission to rescue Air Force Captain Scott O'Grady, who had been shot down over Bosnia and Herzegovina six days earlier.
In 1996, the MEU served as a contingency force in the Adriatic Sea in support of Operation Decisive Endeavor. Near the end of October 1996, units from the MEU assisted U.S. Army and allied engineers with the construction of a bridge across the Drina River in Bosnia.
In March 1998, the MEU conducted 34 battlefield air interdiction missions as part of the NATO air campaign against Yugoslavia, attacking with its AV-8B Harrier IIs from the Adriatic Sea. Also during 1998, the MEU was diverted from its regular deployment schedule to provide a forward presence in the Persian Gulf as the United States 5th Fleet landing force in support of Operation Desert Thunder. In addition, the MEU used its aviation assets to enforce the Iraqi no-fly-zone in support of Operation Southern Watch.
During November and December 1998, Marines from the 24th MEU were called upon to provide security for the American embassy in Tirana, Albania.
From 1999 to 2001, the 24th MEU participated in numerous multinational military exercises and conducted peace support operations in Kosovo.
Global War on Terror
In August 2002, the 24th MEU departed Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. During its nine-month deployment, the MEU participated in Operation Dynamic Response in Kosovo and Operation Iraqi Freedom before returning home in May 2003.
In July 2004, the MEU departed for Iraq again. The deployment marked the first time in recent history that an MEU did not deploy as part of an Amphibious Ready Group. Arriving in Iraq by plane and cargo ships, the MEU served as part of the 1st Marine Division. The MEU was responsible for stability and security in northern Babil and southern Baghdad provinces, reported safe havens for insurgents. The 24th MEU also helped secure the "Triangle of Death" for the first free Iraqi elections.
On July 18, 2006, it was announced that the MEU, along with the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, would be directed to Lebanon, to assist in the evacuation of U.S. nationals in Lebanon. U.S. nationals had become trapped in Lebanon, following a series of Israeli strikes which made the Beirut International Airport nonoperational, and similarly destroyed a number of major roads out of the country.
In February 2008, the 24th MEU began deploying its Marines to Kandahar, Afghanistan. They began their combat operations in April 2008. Marines of the 24th MEU flooded into the Taliban-held town of Garmsir April 29, 2008 , in Helmand province, in the first major American operation in the region in years. By June 1, 2008, the Taliban were pushed out of Garmser.[1] By mid-July, after a month and a half of heavy combat, the Marines were reporting that they had killed over 400 Taliban fighters in the Garmser area.[2]
As the war in Afghanistan shifts from the expulsion of the Taliban to the stabilization of the country, the role for the MEU also shifts to a mission of winning hearts and minds. This involves close coordination with local Afghan leaders and roles as peace makers instead of just soldiers. Currently, the MEU is in southern Afghanistan securing the Afghan-Pakistani border while also trying to win the support of the Afghan population and helping to restart the local economy.
[10 in stock]
26th Marine Expeditionary Unit T-shirt The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU) is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of four major parts: a command element, a ground combat element, an aviation combat element, and a logistics element. Since its establishment in the early 1970s as the 36th Marine Amphibious Unit, the MEU has deployed extensively, and participated in numerous combat and contingency operations, as well as training exercises. The 26th MEU is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
History
Early years
In 1975 the 36th Marine Amphibious Unit participated in Exercise Staff Zugel in West Germany. This marked the first time since World War I that Marines took a combined arms force ashore in Germany. The unit was redesignated as the 26th Marine Amphibious Unit in 1982 and became part of the rotation cycle of three MAUs on the East Coast in 1985. It was the first of the MAUs to undergo Special Operations Capability training, earn the SOC qualification and have AV-8B Harriers attached. In 1988 the unit was again redesignated as the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
1990s through 2000
The 1990s were a busy time for the 26th MEU. In 1991 the MEU supported Operation Desert Shield by providing a "Show of Force" in the Mediterranean, and participated in Operation Sharp Edge, a non-combatant evacuation operation of Liberia. The next year saw the MEU participating in Operation Provide Promise, Operation Deny Flight and Operation Sharp Guard off the coast of Yugoslavia.
In 1994 the 26th MEU participated in ceremonies marking the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. The MEU also supported Operation Restore Hope off the coast of Somalia and participated in continued operations in Bosnia.
Three years later the MEU launched Operation Silver Wake, evacuating American citizens and Third Country Nationals from Albania, and also participated in Operation Guardian Retrieval, the staging of forces in Congo for a possible evacuation of Zaire.
In 1998 the MEU served as the Headquarters for the Strategic Reserve Force during Exercise Dynamic Response in Bosnia. The SRF is a multinational force made up of forces from the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Romania, Poland and the United States.
The 26th MEU played a notable role in the Balkan conflict. In 1998 it participated in Operation Determined Falcon, the one-day NATO aerial show-of-force in Kosovo. In April to May 1999 it took part in Operation Noble Anvil and Operation Shining Hope. While supporting Noble Anvil, the NATO bombing Campaign in Kosovo, with AV-8B Harrier Attack Aircraft, the MEU also provided security for Kosovar Refugees at Camps Hope and Eagle in Albania. From June to July 1999 it participated in Operation Joint Guardian. As the first U.S. Peacekeepers in Kosovo, the Marines and the Sailors of the MEU provided stability to the embattled region.
August 1999 saw the MEU taking part in Operation Avid Response, providing Humanitarian Assistance to the people of Western Turkey left homeless by a devastating earthquake.
The MEU Conducted Adriatic presence operations during the election crisis in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, September 2000. The MEU also participated in exercises Atlas Hinge in Tunisia and Croatian Phibex 2000, the first ever bi-lateral exercise between the Marine Corps and the Croatian Armed Forces. During the next two months the MEU supported diplomatic initiatives during unrest in Israel while simultaneously taking part in the NATO exercise Destined Glory 2000, and continued to break new ground by the second ever bi-lateral exercise between the Marine Corps and the Croatian Armed Forces, exercise Slunj 2000.
Global War on Terror
Following the events of September 11, 2001, the Marines of the 26th MEU were among the first U.S. Forces into Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Swift Freedom. From December 2001 to February 2002, 26th MEU (SOC) Marines reinforced the 15th MEU (SOC) who had conducted the 450 mile seizure of Camp Rhino in November 2001 and Kandahar International Airport in December 2001, Both MEUs worked together and constructed a detainment facility that held more than 400 Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists.
From March-May 2003, the 26th MEU supported Operation Iraqi Freedom conducting operations in Erbil and Mosul, Iraq. The MEU was inserted via KC-130 and conducted operations until relieved by the 101st Airborne Division.
The 26th MEU served as the primary tactical unit for Joint Task Force Liberia from August to September 2003 in the Second Liberian Civil War. The MEU capitalized on its extensive training in humanitarian assistance operations and U.S. Embassy relations to help bring peace to the war-torn nation following the exile of former Liberian president Charles Taylor.
In Iraq, several hundred Marines and Sailors from the 26th MEU conducted Operation Sea Horse in Iraq from July to August in 2005, supporting British-led Multi-National Division Southeast with a mission to detect and deter illicit activity along the Iraqi border. The MEU maintained command and control of Operation Sea Horse from aboard ship in the Northern Persian Gulf, while simultaneously and concurrently conducting training missions in Saudi Arabia and Djibouti.
In August 2008, the 26th MEU deployed aboard the ships of the Iwo Jima Strike Group.
[18 in stock]
