11th Marine Expeditionary Unit The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit ( 11th MEU ) is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Unit s 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 11th MEU is currently based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California with headquarters in Camp Del Mar . Mission . The mission of the MEU is to provide geographic combatant commanders with a forward - deployed , rapid - response force capable of conducting conventional amphibious and selected maritime special operations at night or under adverse weather conditions from the sea , by surface and / or by air while under communications and electronics restrictions . History . Early years . The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit ( MEU ) , originally designated the 17th Marine Amphibious Unit ( MAU ) , formed at Camp Pendleton , California on 13 April 1979 . The MAU was created to plan and participate in large - scale amphibious training exercises . In its early days , the unit also fulfilled requirements for a west coast based MAU to respond to contingencies , but was normally activated and deactivated based largely upon scheduled amphibious landing exercises directed by the Commander , Third Fleet . During this time , the billet of MAU Commanding Officer alternated between Regimental and Aircraft Group Commanders who filled the billet in six - month increments as a secondary duty during their tenures in command . In 1983 , the Marine Corps directed a change that resulted in the first renaming of the 17th MAU . The decision was made to “ source ” the continuously deployed Western Pacific ( WESTPAC ) MAUs from I Marine Amphibious Force units in Southern California . Previously , their units came from the 1st Marine Brigade in Hawaii . This resulted in the renaming of the 17th MAU to the 11th MAU on 20 July 1984 . A second name change took place on 5 February 1988 , when the Marine Corps more clearly defined the multiple capabilities of its Marine Air - Ground Task Forces . “ Amphibious ” was changed to “ Expeditionary , ” and the unit was given its current designation – the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit . While the unit ' s designation has changed , the mission of the 11th MEU has remained largely unchanged . The MEU is an expeditionary intervention force with the ability to move quickly on short notice , to wherever needed to accomplish conventional or special operations . The strength of the MEU ( Special Operations Capable ) resides in the inherent combined arms capability while operating from forward - deployed amphibious shipping . 1990s . In order to accomplish this mission , the MEU ’ s continually train to maintain the required combat readiness , while simultaneously fulfilling worldwide training and contingency commitments . The 11th MEU has completed several major deployments to the Western Pacific , Indian Ocean , and Persian Gulf . It has participated in numerous training exercises / operations from the coast of California to the shores of Somalia , and as far inland as Bujumbura , Burundi and in Central Africa . During its 1998 deployment , the 11th MEU conducted Operation Safe Departure . This was a Noncombatant Evacuation Operation , which took place in Asmara , Eritrea , on 6 June 1998 . The evacuation of noncombatant civilians and third - world nationals was conducted as a precautionary measure to ensure their safety in the midst of a heated border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia . All total , 172 persons , to include 105 Americans , were safely evacuated to Amman , Jordan , via KC - 130 aerial transport . During its 1999 deployment , the 11th MEU supported Operation Stabilise in East Timor from 25 October 1999 to 27 November 1999 . The MEU was called on to provide support to International Forces , East Timor ( INTERFET ) delivering more than 1 . 5 million pounds of food and supplies to the Australian - led peacekeeping forces and East Timorese . Iraq War . On 24 February 2003 , the 11th MEU Command Element deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and later Operation Iraqi Freedom . On 5 March 2003 , the Commanding General , I Marine Expeditionary Force ( I MEF ) , designated the 11th MEU as Task Force Yankee ( TFY ) , named in memory of the victims of the 11 September terrorist attacks . The following units were soon attached to the new task force : 2nd Battalion , 6th Marines ; Sensitive Site Team No . 3 , 75th Exploitation Task Force , U . S . Army ; and Company C , 478th Engineer Battalion , U . S . Army . TFY ’ s responsibilities were varied and challenging . They included : planning and operation of the MEF Enemy Prisoner of War ( EPW ) temporary holding facility ; force protection for Camp Commando , MEF Main in Iraq , ships transiting uncertain waters in the region , and MEF ’ s primary ammunition supply point ; initial investigations of suspected Weapons of Mass Destruction ( WMD ) sites ; coordination of security plans for designated air bases , logistic support areas and lines of communication in Iraq ; and Phase IV planning . The 11th MEU returned to the United States on 20 May . On 31 July 2004 the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit , under the Polish - led Multinational Division Central - South ( MND - CS ) , assumed operational control of the Iraqi provinces of An Najaf and Al Qadisiyah from Task Force Dragon , composed of elements of the 1st Infantry Division . During August 2004 , the MEU , led an assault consisting of 1st Battalion , 4th Marines ; 1st Battalion , 5th Cavalry Regiment , 1st Cavalry Division ; and 2nd Battalion , 7th Cavalry Regiment , 1st Cavalry Division , against the Islamist Mahdi Army of Muqtada al - Sadr in Najaf . The battle ended with a negotiated ceasefire later that month . The MEU remained in Najaf until February 2005 overseeing reconstruction and solatia payments . From November 2007 until 2 June 2008 the 11th MEU was deployed throughout the western Pacific and Persian Gulf . During this float they took part in exercises in the Horn of Africa and Kuwait . At Home . Elements of the 11th MEU were deployed and actively participated and assisted with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort shortly after the storm . The 11th MEU was temporarily based in Mississippi and the John C . Stennis Space Center .