II MEF News

Maj. Gen. Stephen Neary, II Marine Expeditionary Force deputy commanding general, and Rear Adm. Matthew A. Zirkle, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa chief of staff, discuss Navy and Marine Corps expeditionary capabilities during Maritime Preposition Force Exercise 20 at U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy, Feb. 12, 2020. MPFEX 20 demonstrates the ability of a Navy Marine Corps team to deploy, employ and redeploy a staff capable of commanding and controlling forces in support of operations in Europe. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Hector de Jesus) - Maj. Gen. Stephen Neary, II Marine Expeditionary Force deputy commanding general, and Rear Adm. Matthew A. Zirkle, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa chief of staff, discuss Navy and Marine Corps expeditionary capabilities during Maritime Preposition Force Exercise 20 at U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy, Feb. 12, 2020. MPFEX 20 demonstrates the ability of a Navy Marine Corps team to deploy, employ and redeploy a staff capable of commanding and controlling forces in support of operations in Europe. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Hector de Jesus)

Light Armored Vehicles with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance, cross a medium girder bridge as part of Exercise Trident Juncture 18 near Voll, Norway, Oct. 30, 2018. The bridge construction enables ground units to complete a gap crossing during the exercise, which is one of the general engineering tasks 2nd Marine Logistics Group provides to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Trident Juncture 18 enhances the U.S. and NATO Allies’ and partners’ abilities to work together collectively to conduct military operations under challenging conditions. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott R. Jenkins) - Light Armored Vehicles with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance, cross a medium girder bridge as part of Exercise Trident Juncture 18 near Voll, Norway, Oct. 30, 2018. The bridge construction enables ground units to complete a gap crossing during the exercise, which is one of the general engineering tasks 2nd Marine Logistics Group provides to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Trident Juncture 18 enhances the U.S. and NATO Allies’ and partners’ abilities to work together collectively to conduct military operations under challenging conditions. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott R. Jenkins)

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Truman Jackson, a data systems administrator with II Marine Support Battalion, II Marine Information Group, communicates with Command Operations Center during a convoy operation for Exercise Trident Juncture 18 in Norway, Nov. 2, 2018. Trident Juncture 18 demonstrates II Marine Expeditionary Force’s ability to deploy, employ, and redeploy the Marine Air Ground Task Force while improving interoperability with NATO allies and partners. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Patrick Osino) - U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Truman Jackson, a data systems administrator with II Marine Support Battalion, II Marine Information Group, communicates with Command Operations Center during a convoy operation for Exercise Trident Juncture 18 in Norway, Nov. 2, 2018. Trident Juncture 18 demonstrates II Marine Expeditionary Force’s ability to deploy, employ, and redeploy the Marine Air Ground Task Force while improving interoperability with NATO allies and partners. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Patrick Osino)

U.S. Marines with II Marine Expeditionary Force, Norwegian service members and federal employees of Norway pose after off-loading military vehicles and equipment in preparation for NATO exercise Trident Juncture from ARC Resolve in Hammernesodden, Norway, Sept. 24, 2018. Marines and service members from the Norwegian Armed Services unloaded nearly 200 military vehicles and more than 70 containers with military equipment as planned in two days despite cold weather with periods of rain and sleet. Seven different organizations, which had never worked together before came together on a shortened timeline and conducted a successful operation, said Maj. Valerie Schwindt, operations officer, Arrival and Assembly Operation Group, II MEF. Trident Juncture is the largest live NATO exercise since 2002 and is scheduled to take place in October with more than 40,000 troops from 28 allied nations participating. - U.S. Marines with II Marine Expeditionary Force, Norwegian service members and federal employees of Norway pose after off-loading military vehicles and equipment in preparation for NATO exercise Trident Juncture from ARC Resolve in Hammernesodden, Norway, Sept. 24, 2018. Marines and service members from the Norwegian Armed Services unloaded nearly 200 military vehicles and more than 70 containers with military equipment as planned in two days despite cold weather with periods of rain and sleet. Seven different organizations, which had never worked together before came together on a shortened timeline and conducted a successful operation, said Maj. Valerie Schwindt, operations officer, Arrival and Assembly Operation Group, II MEF. Trident Juncture is the largest live NATO exercise since 2002 and is scheduled to take place in October with more than 40,000 troops from 28 allied nations participating.

Lt. Col. Per-Erik Bjoernstadbraatem, the Norwegian Chief of the Army liaison officer to II Marine Expeditionary Force takes notes during a planning meeting for NATO exercise Trident Juncture 18 at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Sept. 20, 2018. Leaders for current operations of II MEF met to discuss changes to plans due to the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. “Despite the change to the operational environment with the impacts of weather in the face of a hurricane, we are still committed to deploying, employing and redeploying Marines in support of sharing alliance and conducting exercise Trident Juncture 18 as planned,” said Lt. Col. Benjamin Davenport, the Exercise Trident Juncture current operations officer. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Melissa Karnath) - Lt. Col. Per-Erik Bjoernstadbraatem, the Norwegian Chief of the Army liaison officer to II Marine Expeditionary Force takes notes during a planning meeting for NATO exercise Trident Juncture 18 at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Sept. 20, 2018. Leaders for current operations of II MEF met to discuss changes to plans due to the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. “Despite the change to the operational environment with the impacts of weather in the face of a hurricane, we are still committed to deploying, employing and redeploying Marines in support of sharing alliance and conducting exercise Trident Juncture 18 as planned,” said Lt. Col. Benjamin Davenport, the Exercise Trident Juncture current operations officer. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Melissa Karnath)

U.S. Marines with 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company assist forward observer teams from the British Royal Army while conducting live-fire missions as part of Exercise Green Cannon 18 at Salisbury Plains, United Kingdom, July 4, 2018. Green Cannon is an annual live-fire exercise between the United States Marine Corps, allied and partner nations in order to increase interoperability in the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. David Delgadillo) - U.S. Marines with 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company assist forward observer teams from the British Royal Army while conducting live-fire missions as part of Exercise Green Cannon 18 at Salisbury Plains, United Kingdom, July 4, 2018. Green Cannon is an annual live-fire exercise between the United States Marine Corps, allied and partner nations in order to increase interoperability in the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. David Delgadillo)

Sgt. Timothy Buntting, an infantry squad leader with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, talks to artillery Marines from 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment about their performance during a training patrol at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Nov. 14, 2017. The infantry Marines taught the artillerymen advanced patrolling tactics in preparation for their upcoming deployment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley McLaughlin) - Sgt. Timothy Buntting, an infantry squad leader with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, talks to artillery Marines from 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment about their performance during a training patrol at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Nov. 14, 2017. The infantry Marines taught the artillerymen advanced patrolling tactics in preparation for their upcoming deployment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley McLaughlin)

Lance Cpl. Jorge Brito uses the Augmented Immersive Team Trainer to locate virtual enemy tanks at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Dec. 13, 2016. The AITT is designed to be cost-effective by replacing actual training targets with virtual moving targets. Brito is a fire support Marine with 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. (U.S Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Juan A. Soto-Delgado) - Lance Cpl. Jorge Brito uses the Augmented Immersive Team Trainer to locate virtual enemy tanks at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Dec. 13, 2016. The AITT is designed to be cost-effective by replacing actual training targets with virtual moving targets. Brito is a fire support Marine with 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. (U.S Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Juan A. Soto-Delgado)

Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 2 attempt to hold off a crowd during non-lethal riot control training at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Feb. 19, 2016. The training is in preparation for the unit’s upcoming Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa deployment later this year. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joey Mendez) - Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 2 attempt to hold off a crowd during non-lethal riot control training at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Feb. 19, 2016. The training is in preparation for the unit’s upcoming Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa deployment later this year. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joey Mendez)