II MEF News

Marines with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment learn how to make adjustments on the 61mm mortar system at a live-fire range aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 25, 2015. The exercise allowed Marines new to the unit to gain knowledge and experience with both 61mm and 80 mm mortal systems. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Michael Dye/Released) - Marines with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment learn how to make adjustments on the 61mm mortar system at a live-fire range aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 25, 2015. The exercise allowed Marines new to the unit to gain knowledge and experience with both 61mm and 80 mm mortal systems. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Michael Dye/Released)

Sailors with 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, practice securing a litter for medical evacuations on a HH-46E Sea Knight aircraft, June 23, 2015, aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., as part of a medical field exercise. The medical exercise is being conducted in order to familiarize the medical personnel with their capabilities and equipment in an austere environment). The HH-46E is with Marine Transport Squadron 1, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Elizabeth Case/Released) - Sailors with 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, practice securing a litter for medical evacuations on a HH-46E Sea Knight aircraft, June 23, 2015, aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., as part of a medical field exercise. The medical exercise is being conducted in order to familiarize the medical personnel with their capabilities and equipment in an austere environment). The HH-46E is with Marine Transport Squadron 1, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Elizabeth Case/Released)

Lance Cpl. Benjamin Swanson, a rifleman with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, works one-on-one with a role player during a patrolling class for a practical application exercise during a pre-deployment certification exercise for Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 19, 2015. Role players acted as host nationals while the Marines with SPMAGTF-CR-AF put what they had learned in classes from the Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group earlier that week to the test. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Olivia McDonald/Released) - Lance Cpl. Benjamin Swanson, a rifleman with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, works one-on-one with a role player during a patrolling class for a practical application exercise during a pre-deployment certification exercise for Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 19, 2015. Role players acted as host nationals while the Marines with SPMAGTF-CR-AF put what they had learned in classes from the Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group earlier that week to the test. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Olivia McDonald/Released)

Marines with Lima Co., 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, guide a role player acting as a downed pilot to an MV-22B Osprey during a tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel exercise aboard Marine Corps Outlying Landing Field Atlantic, N.C., June 19, 2015. Due to the short notice nature of TRAP missions, the Marines stood by during the week to receive the mission, showing them the importance of maintaining readiness. The TRAP exercise was part of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa’s certification exercise, the final step in their pre-deployment training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Justin T. Updegraff/ Released) - Marines with Lima Co., 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, guide a role player acting as a downed pilot to an MV-22B Osprey during a tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel exercise aboard Marine Corps Outlying Landing Field Atlantic, N.C., June 19, 2015. Due to the short notice nature of TRAP missions, the Marines stood by during the week to receive the mission, showing them the importance of maintaining readiness. The TRAP exercise was part of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa’s certification exercise, the final step in their pre-deployment training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Justin T. Updegraff/ Released)

Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division pose for a group photo during the 1/8 Lance Cpl. Seminar graduation June 7, 2015, aboard Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Forty-nine Marines, along with 6 instructors from the battalion, completed the five-day course. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ryan Young/ released) - Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division pose for a group photo during the 1/8 Lance Cpl. Seminar graduation June 7, 2015, aboard Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Forty-nine Marines, along with 6 instructors from the battalion, completed the five-day course. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ryan Young/ released)

A midshipman from the United States Naval Academy fires the M240B Machine Gun during the live-fire portion of their training day aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 4, 2015. The midshipmen received instruction and first-hand experience on some of the weapon systems the Marine Corps has to offer as part of a month-long branch specific training event during the summer before their junior year at the USNA. (Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jorden M Wells/Released) - A midshipman from the United States Naval Academy fires the M240B Machine Gun during the live-fire portion of their training day aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 4, 2015. The midshipmen received instruction and first-hand experience on some of the weapon systems the Marine Corps has to offer as part of a month-long branch specific training event during the summer before their junior year at the USNA. (Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jorden M Wells/Released)

Lance Cpl. Taylor Knight, a geographical intelligence specialist with Battlefield Surveillance Company, 2nd Intelligence Battalion, reads the data output by the base Global Positioning System during geodetic mapping operations aboard Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, May 28, 2015. Six Marines with the company conducted a geographical mapping of Landing Zone Lark, gathering information for pilots to look at, allowing them to determine whether their aircraft is safe to land on the terrain. - Lance Cpl. Taylor Knight, a geographical intelligence specialist with Battlefield Surveillance Company, 2nd Intelligence Battalion, reads the data output by the base Global Positioning System during geodetic mapping operations aboard Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, May 28, 2015. Six Marines with the company conducted a geographical mapping of Landing Zone Lark, gathering information for pilots to look at, allowing them to determine whether their aircraft is safe to land on the terrain.

Marines and spouses socialize while waiting to ride on an M1A1 Abrams tank during Spouse Appreciation Day at range SR-10 aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 2, 2015. 2nd Tank Battalion put on an event in which the spouses would participate in events to give a better understanding of what their husbands experience on a day-to-day basis. - Marines and spouses socialize while waiting to ride on an M1A1 Abrams tank during Spouse Appreciation Day at range SR-10 aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 2, 2015. 2nd Tank Battalion put on an event in which the spouses would participate in events to give a better understanding of what their husbands experience on a day-to-day basis.

Marines with Bravo Company, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion use combat maneuvering skills to close with a simulated enemy during a live-fire and maneuver exercise at a range aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 6, 2015. “This is what infantry is,” said Sgt. Christian Sampson, a combat engineer with the company. “As engineers, most people assume that we build stuff and blow stuff up, but we basically are infantry units trained as engineers.” (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. David N. Hersey/Released) - Marines with Bravo Company, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion use combat maneuvering skills to close with a simulated enemy during a live-fire and maneuver exercise at a range aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 6, 2015. “This is what infantry is,” said Sgt. Christian Sampson, a combat engineer with the company. “As engineers, most people assume that we build stuff and blow stuff up, but we basically are infantry units trained as engineers.” (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. David N. Hersey/Released)