Expeditionary Strike Group 3 Expeditionary Strike Group 3 is an expeditionary strike group ( ESG ) of the U . S . Navy . Expeditionary strike groups combine the capabilities of surface action groups , submarines , and maritime patrol aircraft with those of Amphibious Ready Groups for deployment and maintaining staff proficiencies to provide fleet commanders with a highly flexible , ready fly - away unit . It is capable of projecting expeditionary striking power in the maritime , littoral , and inland environs in support of U . S . national interests . The mission of Expeditionary Strike Group 3 is to provide amphibious expertise and a deployable staff for combat and contingency operations in support of the nation ' s interests and maritime strategy . The staff advocate for the readiness and employment of U . S . amphibious forces across the full spectrum of military operations . As Amphibious Group 3 , the organization participated in Operations Desert Shield , Restore Hope , Continue Hope and United Shield . Upon reorganization and implementation of the newly developed ESG concept on 2003 , it participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom . History . Expeditionary Strike Group 3 can trace its origins to Amphibious Group 3 ( PHIBGRU 3 ) . PhibGru 3 was probably active during World War II and was definitely active by 1945 ; at Eniwetok on 7 September 1945 , revised orders directed to Tacloban in the Philippines , where she arrived on 14 September and reported to Commander Amphibious Group 3 for duty in the occupation of Aomori , Japan . On 17 September " Bayfield " embarked soldiers and equipment of the U . S . 81st Infantry Division . The landings at Aomori took place according to schedule on 25 September 1945 . With the outbreak of the Korean war in June 1950 , was ordered to the Far East . As flagship for Rear Admiral L . A . Thackrey , Commander , Amphibious Group 3 , she acted as standby for Mount McKinley ( AGC - 7 ) during the invasion of Inchon , Korea , and coordinated and controlled the logistics operations . In 1978 , Amphibious Group Eastern Pacific ( PHIBGRUEASTPAC ) at San Diego consisted of Amphibious Squadrons 1 , 3 , 5 , and 7 , all at San Diego . Early in 1987 , the Thirteenth Edition of " Ships and Aircraft " still listed PhibGruEastPac at San Diego with the same four squadrons , but Amphibious Squadron 7 had moved to Long Beach , Ca . PhibGru 3 was reestablished on October 1 , 1984 by redesignating Amphibious Group , Eastern Pacific . On August 1 , 1986 , COMPHIBGRU 3 was reorganized into three assault squadron s and two non - deploying readiness squadrons . Operation Desert Shield . In December 1990 , the 13 - ship Amphibious Task Force became the largest to sail from the West Coast since 1965 when it set sail in support of Operation Desert Shield . The Task Force reached the north Arabian Sea and was joined by its East Coast counterpart and together they had a total of 31 amphibious ships , four combat logistics ships and eight supporting merchant ships , thus forming the largest Amphibious assault force since the Korean War . COMPHIBGRU 3 participated in what is considered as the major amphibious operation of the Gulf War when in February 1991 , together with the Fifth Marine Expeditionary Brigade , it landed more than 6 , 500 Marines at Al Mishab , Saudi Arabia , just south of the Kuwait - Iraq border . COMPHIBGRU 3 was to participate in numerous humanitarian assistance operations after Operation Desert Storm came to an end . Somalian Civil War . During the Somalian Civil War , COMPHIBGRU 3 participated in various operations , Operation Restore Hope , Operation Continue Hope and Operation United Shield . In Operation Restore Hope the force acted as a Maritime Prepositioning Force - based at the Mogadishu Port Facility and in January 1995 , the force played the role of Commander , Naval Forces , during the final withdraw of U . N . forces from Somalia . 1995 - 2000 . From 1995 to 1998 COMPHIBGRU 3 participated in various naval exercises . Amongst them Exercise Cooperation from the Sea ( 1995 ) with the Russian Navy , exercises with Jordanian forces ( 1996 ) embarking landing craft from the United Arab Emirates for the first time in U . S . Navy history , Exercise Native Fury in Kuwait ( 1998 ) , Exercise Freedom Banner in Korea ( In October 1998 , the command absorbed Naval Inshore Undersea Warfare Group 1 and redesignated Naval Coastal Warfare Group 1 ) and in ( 2000 ) Exercise Natural Fire in Mombasa , Kenya . Operation Iraqi Freedom . In 2003 , COMPHIBGRU 3 provided the forces and stood up as Commander Task Force 51 to execute a multitude of the Naval Component Commander ' s assigned missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . In addition to the deployments in support of OIF , CPG - 3 also deployed the first expeditionary strike group , Expeditionary Strike Group 1 , onboard in August 2003 . ESG 1 participated directly in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom . ESG 1 didn ' t return from the Middle East until March 2004 . In November 2003 , Marine Brigadier General Joseph V . Medina took command of Expeditionary Strike Group 3 . This event marked the first time in history that a United States Marine Corps officer took command of a naval formation . In Operation Iraqi Freedom Two ( OIF II ) , included a host of amphibious and maritime ships whose mission was to substitute Marines from the I Marine Expeditionary Force with troops from the United States Army ' s 1st Infantry . To support the OIF II Force Rotation Plan and the First Marine Expeditionary Force ' s deployment to relieve the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq , Commander Amphibious Group 3 , Rear Adm . W . C . Marsh , and his San Diego - based staff deployed into the Fifth Fleet Area of Operations . Marsh assumed duties as Commander Task Force 51 ( CTF 51 ) and began overseeing amphibious operations in the area . On April 17 , 2007 , Amphibious Group 3 was reorganised as Expeditionary Strike Group Three in San Diego , California . Unlike Commander , Amphibious Group 3 , which provided ships with manning , training and material support , ESG 3 was to be strictly operational , preparing ESG forces for deployment and maintaining proficiencies as a staff to provide fleet commanders with a ready fly - away command element that is extremely flexible in mission assignment .