As Marines and Sailors respond to Türkiye earthquake relief, 1,200 Marines and Sailors with II Marine Expeditionary Force simultaneously trained in Marine Expeditionary Force Exercise 23 from 8-17 Feb at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

“The planning for this exercise began about six weeks ago,” said Maj. Scott Flurry, a future operations planner with II MEF. “This exercise simulates, tests the abilities and trains Marines and sailors to successfully execute humanitarian efforts.”

MEFEX is an exercise that develops command and control capabilities and warfighting functions of the MEF staff as an operational command in preparation for crisis across the spectrum of conflict. In the scenario, MEF staff developed the ability to coordinate with non-governmental organizations, U.S. Agency for International Development, and other agencies in response to a foreign humanitarian crisis.

“II MEF would be seen operating in a similar capacity during any global crisis response,” said Col. Nicholas Davis, Director of II Marine Expeditionary Force Training and a MEFEX planner.

The exercise in foreign humanitarian assistance comes as forces from II MEF conduct real-world assistance to the Government and people of Türkiye after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye on Feb. 6. 

Marines and Sailors from II Marine Expeditionary Force, led by Col. Ryan Hoyle, commanding officer of 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, arrived in Naples, Italy as the third iteration of II MEF’s support to Task Force 61 Naval Amphibious Force Europe, Jan. 23. 2023.  Following the earthquake, they quickly moved in to Türkiye to conduct site surveys and serve as an advance team to coordinate other Department of Defense efforts while supporting U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Sixth Fleet. The MEF then deployed the Commanding General of 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Brig. Gen. Andrew Priddy, to command TF-61 and additional forces from 2d MEB.  They are now the crisis response force responsible for command and control of all U.S. military humanitarian efforts at Incirlik Air Base in Türkiye.

Back at Camp Lejeune II MEF Marines continued their command post exercise aided by MAGTF Staff Training Program simulating a joint task force from Quantico, Va.

“Role players come from all over the MEF and the east coast of the Marine Corps,” Davis said, “And every day, key leaders and staff have touch points to ensure the effectiveness of the training and how to move forward in future exercises.”

Throughout this exercise, II MEF demonstrated its abilities to command and control and coordinate across organizations to meet the lethal and non-lethal range of military operations possible along the competition continuum. These abilities include aircraft to ground movements, tactical recoveries, raids, humanitarian aid, and ground operations.

This exercise incorporated all warfighting functions – command and control, fires, force protection, information, intelligence, logistics and maneuver – to better equip the enterprise for its JTF qualification in support of the service-wide initiative: Force Design 2030.

For example, 4th Civil Affairs Group, Force Headquarters, Marine Corps Forces Reserve, led the inter-agency working groups and integrated into all of the warfighting function working groups with II MEF staff members.

II MEF is representative of the largest and most powerful Marine Air-Ground Task Force; it is an expeditionary force in readiness with an emphasis on crisis response. Exercises like MEFEX prepare II MEF for its culminating exercise to certify it as a Joint Task Force, JTF Exercise 23, occurring in September.

“Whether forward deployed or in [garrison], we are here to respond to crises as needed,” Col. Davis said.