United States Marine Corps Forces , Europe United States Marine Corps Forces Europe ( also known as MARFOREUR ) , headquartered in " Panzerkaserne - Barracks " in Böblingen , Germany , is the U . S . Marine Corps component of the U . S . European Command . History . In February 1980 the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Chief of Naval Operations revised the operational task sharing between both referring branches of the armed forces in a memorandum . Hitherto the USMC had a supporting role within the United States Naval Forces Europe ( NAVEUR ) . When that agreement came into effect on July 1 , 1980 , Headquarters , Fleet Marine Force Europe , the predecessor of the present unit , was founded in London including an independent 40 - person staff as a Designed Component Command , to act as a Command Unit for further formations to be put under EUCOM - Command in case of a crisis situation . That staff immediately began preparing operation plans for optimal replenishment and deployment when required . FMF Europe arranged Marine support for Operation Provide Comfort , Operation Provide Promise , and Operation Deny Flight . To match increasing challenges better , headquarters were transferred to Böblingen near Stuttgart on November 8 , 1993 . In February 1994 the headquarters was renamed MARFOREUR . MARFOREUR is now dual - hatted as Marine Corps Forces , Africa , since November 2008 . Organization . Currently , MARFOREUR has a manning level of more than 1 , 500 Marines , of which about 100 serve at headquarters in Böblingen . MARFOREUR serves as a headquarters and liaison organization for USMC efforts in the EUCOM area of responsibility . In normal circumstances Marine elements in the theatre are few - routinely , the Marine Expeditionary Unit attached to United States Sixth Fleet , and possibly other small units and detachments . Yet the HQ makes it possible to call upon forces from II Marine Expeditionary Force ( II MEF ) , based at Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . This force comprises the 2nd Marine Division , the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing , and the 2nd Marine Logistics Group , formerly known as the 2nd Force Service Support Group . II MEF would also supply forces for the Norway Air - Landed Marine Expeditionary Brigade ( NALMEB ) . NALMEB is a remnant NATO Cold War reinforcement organization , and would have come under command of Allied Forces Northern Europe . Significant equipment storage for a MEB is located in northern Norway , and administered in the continental United States by Blount Island Command . The Norwegian Government has integrated the presence of a MEB into its defense planning , and thus has probably slightly reduced the size of its armed forces in consequence . Yet the tasking is now more theoretical than real , as the last confirmed deployment was Exercise Battle Griffin in 1991 , in which the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade , made up from USMCR reserve units due to Operation Desert Storm , made the first test of the concept . The exercise was conducted in February and March 1991 and the Brigade was made up of the 25th Marines regimental headquarters , 3rd Battalion , 25th Marines ( infantry ) , Company E , 4th Reconnaissance Battalion , and 1st Battalion , 14th Marines ( artillery ) .