page_title: 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
section_title: Global War on Terrorism
hierarchical_section_title: 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit / History / Global War on Terrorism
caption_attribution_description: English: SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN -- A Marine with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Camp Pendleton, Calif., leads a column of Marines to a security position after seizing a Taliban forward-operating base Nov. 25. Marines from the 15th and 26th MEU are currently deployed to the region in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Thirteenth MEU Marines, embarked on USS Bonhomme Richard, left San Diego Dec. 1 enroute to the Arabian Sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Marine photo by Sgt. Joseph Chenelly.
context_page_description: The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven such 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 combat logistics battalion. The 15th MEU is currently based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.
context_section_description: Marines of the Forward Command Element of the 15th MEU (SOC) were in East Timor readying for the arrival of the ARG to conduct Humanitarian Operations, while the ARG was in Darwin, Australia during the September 2001 terror attacks on the United States. Following the 11 September attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the 15th MEU (SOC) continued their plans of humanitarian operations to assist the war-torn country of East Timor, before sailing to the North Arabian Sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
  On 7 October 2001, the 15th MEU participated in the United States' new "War on Terrorism", sending Marines and Sailors into Northern Pakistan to establish a forward operating air base and logistical hub. These Marines provided security to USAF personnel who arrived on location shortly after the 15th MEU Marines of Battalion Landing Team 1/1 had established security.
  On 25 November 2001, the Marines and Sailors of the 15th MEU (SOC) conducted an Amphibious assault over 400 miles (640 km) into the land-locked country of Afghanistan. The Marines and Sailors set new standards for Marine Corps amphibious doctrine. Landing at a remote airbase, 90 miles (140 km) southwest of Kandahar, the Marines occupied Camp Rhino that had been secured by the U.S. Army special forces, America's first Forward Operating Base while maintaining the first significant conventional ground presence in Afghanistan. The Marines and coalition forces later moved north to Kandahar International Airport securing a new forward operating base. With the move, the Marines and coalition forces were able to continue with new missions and build a prison camp that housed numerous Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters.
  On 6 January 2003, this time on board the USS Tarawa ARG, the 15th MEU (SOC) departed once again for another deployment. In mid-February, elements of the MEU off-loaded and established a training camp in Northern Kuwait while other members of the MAGTF – primarily the helicopter squadron – remained on board the Tarawa ARG in the Persian Gulf.
  During February and March 2003, tactical control (TACON) of the MEU was assigned to the United Kingdom's 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines for Operation Iraqi Freedom. On 21 March 2003, Marines from the 15th MEU crossed the border into Southern Iraq and secured the ports of Umm Qasr and Az Zubayr in order to destroy Iraqi resistance and enable follow-on humanitarian assistance to begin.
  In late-March 2003, the MEU again became part of the I Marine Expeditionary Force and moved to An Nasiriyah, Iraq to relieve the Marines of Task Force Tarawa. In An Nasiriyah, the 15th MEU secured the remaining sectors of the city, conducted a supporting attack during the rescue of American prisoner of war Jessica Lynch and continued to establish security throughout the greater An Nasiriyah area. The MEU provided humanitarian assistance to the local population that included purifying drinking water, and doctors and corpsmen assisted medical care. The MEU began helping establish the local government to include police and other local services in addition to continuing to conduct airborne surveillance and direct-action raids on the ground to seek out and capture any Ba’ath Party or Fedayeen resistance.
  In January 2005, the 15th MEU participated in Operation Unified Assistance by providing disaster relief to survivors of the destructive tsunami in Sumatra, Indonesia and southern Sri Lanka. Immediately after wrapping up those operations, the 15th MEU proceeded south of Baghdad, Iraq to Forward Operating Base Falcon near Al-Mahmudiyah, Babil province, south of for security and stability operations in between rotations of army units. Their deployment into Iraq lasted about 30 days.
  On 13 September 2006, the 15th MEU was once again deployed to Iraq. It left San Diego on USS Boxer, USS Dubuque, and USS Comstock and in mid November began operating in Al Anbar province as Task Force Bullrush, composed of elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable); Bravo Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion; C Comp
caption: Marines from the 15th MEU at Camp Rhino on 25 November 2001
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