31st Marine Expeditionary Unit The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ( 31st 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 , an infantry battalion with artillery , amphibious vehicle and other attachments , a composite helicopter squadron reinforced with a Harrier squadron and a combat logistics battalion . The 31st MEU is currently based out of Camp Hansen , Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D . Butler , Okinawa , Japan . This is the only permanently forward - deployed MEU , and is America ' s expeditionary force - in - readiness in the Asia - Pacific region . Mission . The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit provides a forward deployed , flexible sea - based Marine Air Ground Task Force capable of conducting amphibious operations , crisis response and limited contingency operations in the Asia - Pacific area . History . Vietnam War . The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit was activated on 1 March 1967 as Special Landing Force Alpha , for operations in Vietnam . It made the first of many amphibious deployments from Okinawa to the coast of Vietnam on 10 April 1967 . The first operation actually conducted was on 14 Apr 1967 , when the MEU conducted a rescue of the crew of the SS Silver Peak , a Panamanian vessel run aground by Typhoon Violet , in vicinity of Minami Ko Shima Island , Japan . Days later , it was committed to Operation Union , a search and destroy mission in Vietnam . It was during this period of intense combat that Special Landing Force Alpha earned the Presidential Unit Citation . The unit participated in continuing combat operations ashore over the next three years , including the Vietnam Tet counteroffensive in 1969 , while returning to Okinawa periodically for re - outfitting and the rotation of forces . Special Landing Force Alpha was officially designated as the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit ( MAU ) on 24 November 1970 . Once more the unit returned to the Gulf of Tonkin . This time , however , the 31st MAU would not be committed to overt land operations as the Vietnam War was winding down . The 31st MAU performed presence missions and conducted a series of special operations through May 1971 . From June 1971 until April 1975 , the 31st MAU conducted numerous deployments to the waters off Vietnam . The 31st MAU was then directed to the Gulf of Thailand for Operation Eagle Pull , the American Embassy evacuation by air of Phnom Penh , Cambodia , which took place on 12 April 1975 . This was followed by the 31st MAU ' s participation in Operation Frequent Wind on 29 April 1975 which was the final evacuation of Saigon as North Vietnamese forces entered the city . 1980s and 1990s . The 31st MAU remained the forward - deployed U . S . presence in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia . Combat operations were replaced by regional exercises , which allowed training opportunities in a variety of countries . In 1983 , the 31st MAU was recalled from a combined exercise with local forces in Kenya , and positioned in the Mediterranean Sea . Its mission from September to October 1983 was to support U . S . peacekeeping forces in Beirut during an intense period of complex political and life - threatening conditions in Lebanon . It was the 31st MAU ' s last operation of that period and the unit was deactivated in May 1985 . The unit was reactivated as the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ( Special Operations Capable ) on 9 September 1992 . In 1994 , the unit was relocated to its current home station at Camp Hansen , in Okinawa , Japan . Iraq 1998 - 99 . The flexibility of the MEU was demonstrated with the Iraq crisis in late 1998 regarding the regime not complying with the U . N . weapons inspections process . All four ARG ships had just completed Exercise Foal Eagle off the coast of Korea , and were heading to various port visits for liberty , when each ship received the call in early Nov 1998 to sail immediately to Okinawa to onload the 31st MEU . A significant portion of the 31st MEU ’ s 2000 Marines were engaged in urban warfare training in Guam when their message to return to Okinawa came in November . The rest were still in Okinawa , but approximately a quarter of those were a new infantry battalion , just rotating in from California . The battalion had just two days to gather all their personnel to get ready to deploy . The 31st MEU and ships ’ company personnel started their initial onloads to the ships on 9 Nov and completed the morning of 11 Nov . In one night alone , they loaded more than 170 pallets of equipment , weapons , and cargo . In addition , a C - 5 Galaxy from Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , originally scheduled to bring maintenance supplies and tools to Okinawa two weeks later , arrived early on 10 Nov 1998 in order to restock the MEU ’ s Air Combat Element . This evolution was a part of the normal supply rotation , but the shipment arrived a week early – just in time to load onto the ships before they departed . From Nov 1998 to Feb 1999 , the MEU participated in operations in the Persian Gulf and off the coast of Kuwait , including Operation Southern Watch and Operation Desert Fox . East Timor . Portions of the MEU , including G Company , [ [ 2nd Battalion , 5th Marines ] and Charlie Company 1st Battalion 5th Marines ] , then the MEU ' s Battalion Landing Team ; portions of the Command Element ; and [ [ HMM - 265 ] ] , the MEU ' s Air Combat Element ; and MEU Service Support Group 31 deployed to East Timor in January 2000 aboard as Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force East Timor . In East Timor , the Marines and Sailors supported the transition from the Australian - led [ [ International Forces in East Timor ] ] ( INTERFET ) to the new [ [ United Nations Transitional Administration East Timor ] ] ( UNTAET ) . 9 - 11 . On 12 Sept . 2001 , which was 11 Sept . on the East Coast , the Marines of the 31st MEU ' s Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion 5th Marines ( BLT 2 / 5 ) were secured in their barracks on Camp Hansen as a Super Typhoon was passing over Okinawa , Japan . Marines became aware of the terrorist attacks through the [ [ Armed Forces Network ] ] television and radio stations , and word quickly spread . That evening the 31st MEU received a 96 - hour warning order for deployment and was notified that the Navy ships were en route to load as quickly as possible . Although the storm was still in progress , Marines prepared their personal gear , plans were made , and vehicles and equipment were quickly moved to the port facility and onto the ships . The helicopter squadron was the last to board due to the passing storm , and the on - load was successfully completed in 93 hours . The 31st MEU then steamed south towards their anticipated destination , Afghanistan . As the ships passed Singapore , their destination was changed to East Timor . There the MEU again supported UNTAET operations . It was later found out that the [ [ 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit ] ] , just returning from a deployment to East Timor , was assigned the task of heading to Afghanistan . 21st Century . [ [ File : USMC M16A4 Rifle . JPG | thumb | Marines are training on ] ] From September 2004 to March 2005 , the 31st MEU , including Battalion Landing Team [ [ 1st Battalion 3rd Marines ] ] with attached Charlie Battery of [ [ 1st Battalion 12th Marines ] ] , conducted combat actions in support of [ [ Operation Iraqi Freedom ] ] . Participation including a major role in [ [ Operation Phantom Fury ] ] , the clearing of Fallujah in November 2004 . With organizational changes to Marine Corps ' reconnaissance units in 2006 , all the MEU ’ s [ [ Special Operations Capable ] ] ( SOC ) designations were removed . The 31st MEU then became titled as a Maritime Contingency Force , although it remains capable of conducting the same wide variety of specialized missions on both sea and land . In February 2006 , the 31st MEU was sent to the Philippines to provide relief assistance during the [ [ 2006 Southern Leyte mudslide | mudslides in southern Leyte ] ] . On 21 September 2007 , the 31st MEU Command Element dedicated its headquarters building at [ [ Camp Hansen ] ] , Okinawa to [ [ Rafael Peralta | Sergeant Rafael Peralta ] ] , who died in Iraq during [ [ Operation Phantom Fury ] ] while assigned to the 31st MEU . Sgt Peralta received the [ [ Navy Cross ] ] for his actions in Fallujah . In May and June 2008 , the MEU participated in Operation Caring Response after Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar . In Oct 2009 the MEU assisted in humanitarian & disaster relief in Luzon , Philippines after Typhoons Ketsana and Parma hit back to back . Simultaneously , elements of the MEU assisted in Sumatra , Indonesia after earthquakes struck the region . In Oct 2010 , the 31st MEU conducted humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in northern Luzon after Super Typhoon Megi hit the Philippines . Japan Earthquake and Tsunami . The 31st MEU was split into three separate parts on 11 March 2011 , the day of the 9 . 0 earthquake and tsunami . The largest ship , , with most of the Marines and Sailors of the 31st MEU aboard , had just completed an exercise in Cambodia and had arrived in Malaysia for a port visit . When 31st MEU leadership received news of the tsunami , they initiated an immediate recall of all personnel who were away from the ship on liberty . The ship quickly took on some supplies , and in less than 24 hours was underway to Japan where it would meet up with and . Germantown and Harpers Ferry were both in Indonesia with elements of the 31st MEU embarked , and Marines and Sailors aboard the USS Harpers Ferry were scheduled to participate in a large humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise starting 12 March . Both ships were immediately alerted upon news of the disaster in Japan and headed north for the stricken country in support of what would become [ [ Operation Tomodachi ] ] . The Essex Amphibious Ready Group and the 31st MEU first arrived off the coast of Akita , Japan , 17 March and began flying coastal surveillance flights in the initial stages of [ [ Operation Tomodachi ] ] . Then , on 22 March , the ARG repositioned off the east coast of Japan , near Hachinohe , and the 31st MEU immediately began delivering relief supplies ashore via helicopters of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 ( Reinforced ) . Supplies delivered included water , blankets , and other health and comfort items . HMM - 262 ( REIN ) conducted a total of 15 survey missions and 204 supply delivery missions with nearly 300 hours of flight time . On 27 March , the MEU and Essex ARG ’ s priority became support to the isolated island of Oshima as part of [ [ Operation Tomodachi ] ] . Elements of the 31st MEU , including [ [ Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 ] ] ( Reinforced ) , [ [ Combat Logistics Battalion 31 ] ] , [ [ 2nd Battalion 5th Marines ] ] and the command element went ashore on Oshima Island to remove debris , deliver critical supplies to the isolated area , and provide life support . [ [ Combat Logistics Battalion 31 ] ] began by transporting relief supplies , which included moving commercial electric utility vehicles , a fuel truck , a water re - supply vehicle and civilian workers from the Tohoku Power Company by U . S . Navy landing craft to attempt to restore partial power to the cut - off island . The same day the utility vehicles were delivered , the island received power for the first time since the disaster . During the Oshima operation , pallets of clothes , blankets , and food were flown to the JMSDF helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga ( DDH 181 ) by Marine helicopters , where they were distributed to displaced residents of the island who were temporarily embarked aboard the ship . Working alongside the JGSDF , the 31st MEU delivered 15 , 000 pounds of supplies to the island and cleared tons of debris from harbors , roads and beaches . Marines also created temporary shower facilities allowing residents to bathe . For some it was the first time they had been able to take a shower since the tsunami struck . In total , the 31st MEU and the Essex ARG moved 164 , 000 pounds of relief supplies to those affected by the disaster , including five cities , Oshima Island and the Japanese ship . Current Operations . The 31st MEU is the Marine Corps ' only permanently forward - deployed MEU and remains the Marine Corps ' force in readiness in the Asia - Pacific region . It currently conducts regularly scheduled semi - annual patrols throughout the region and participates in several mulitlateral training exercises with allied militaries . The 31st MEU remains ready for a wide range of contingency operations ranging from amphibious assault operations to humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions . Unit awards . A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited . Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation . The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit has been presented with the following awards : References . [ [ Category : Marine expeditionary units of the United States Marine Corps | 31 ] ]