COMMAND BRIEF I MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE Welcome. We have two briefs for you today that we hope will give you an idea of what I MEF does for the Marine Corps and our Nation First I will give you some background on the Command and then discuss the current operations that I MEF units are conducting. Next, Col Obsorn will brief you on what his Marine Air Ground Task Force did recently “READY AND RESPONSIVE”

CRITICAL ASSET Perverse enthusiasm for adapting and improvising Ready to deploy A Spartan attitude Mentally agile Marines will be prepared to “live hard” in uncertain, chaotic, and austere environments. We will strike a balance between being heavy enough to sustain expeditionary warfare and light enough to facilitate rapid deployment. We expect inhospitable conditions and train accordingly. The Expeditionary Mindset Expeditionary is an ethos that influences every aspect of organization, training, and equipment A perverse enthusiasm for adapting and improvising. “Come as you are” attitudes. Understanding that you are going to deploy – you must be mentally and physically ready. A Spartan attitude; an expectation and willingness to endure (with pride) hardship and austere conditions. Constantly prepared to adapt to new situations and mentally agile enough to create innovative solutions to unanticipated circumstances. Ever ready, self-sustaining, ready to fight when leaving the pier – this drives culture, mindset, thinking and equipment.

USMC ENDURING PRINCIPLES Every Marine a Rifleman Expeditionary Naval Force Combined Arms Organization Ready & Forward Deployed Agile and Adaptable Marines Take Care of Their Own Enduring principles. Principles define fundamental beliefs that form the foundation from which Marines derive their ethos and basic operating instincts. The following principles help to further define the cultural identity of Marines in the most basic terms – they express WHAT WE BELIEVE. Vision and Strategy page 7

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Marine Air-Ground Task Force GROUND COMBAT ELEMENT (GCE) AVIATION ELEMENT (ACE) COMMAND ELEMENT (CE) LOGISTICS ELEMENT (LCE) This is a graphic of the MAGTF What distinguishes us…under one commander. EFFECTIVE and Flexible Segue: The MEF is the largest MAGTF

I MEF MISSION STATEMENT I MEF generates, deploys, and employs combat ready MAGTFs/forces in order to meet Combatant Commander requirements across the range of military operations.

ORGANIZATION CG I MEF DCG I MEF 3d Marine 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (MCAS Miramar/ Yuma/ Camp Pendleton) 1st Marine Logistics Group (Camp Pendleton/ 29 Palms/Yuma) 1st Marine Division (Camp Pendleton/ 29 Palms) I MEF HQ Group (Camp Pendleton) I MEF is the largest of the Corps’ 3 Marine Expeditionary Forces. The forces listed make up the bulk of the extensive combat power of the MEF. These forces have the ability to operate across the spectrum of combat… from engagement through small scale contingencies to major theater war. Any time I MEF conducts military operations, we deploy with reserve forces. 11th MEU ( Camp Pendleton) 13th MEU ( Camp Pendleton) 15th MEU ( Camp Pendleton)

(Camp Pendleton/ 29 Palms) TOTAL MANPOWER 1st Marine Division (Camp Pendleton/ 29 Palms) 18,000 Marine Enlisted 16,190 Marine Officer 950 Navy 1,100 1st Marine Logistics Group (Camp Pendleton/ 29 Palms/Yuma) 5,600 Marine Enlisted 5,200 Marine Officer 230 Warrant Officer 75 Navy 140 3d Marine Aircraft Wing (MCAS Miramar/ Yuma/ Camp Pendleton) 15,800 Marine Enlisted 13,600 Marine Officer 1,500 Warrant Officer 175 Navy 585 I MEF HQ Group (Camp Pendleton) 3,500 Marine Enlisted 3,070 Marine Officer 280 Warrant Officer 71 Navy 75 Contractors?

LOCATIONS 29 Palms Camp Pendleton MCAS Miramar I MEF CALIFORNIA 7th MAR CLR-7 Aviation support Camp Pendleton I MEF 1st MARDIV 1st MLG I MHG 11th MEU 13th MEU 15th MEU 3D MAW Element San Francisco CALIFORNIA The forces that make up I MEF are located primarily in southern California, with most residing here at Camp Pendleton. This base has 125k acres and 17 miles of superb amphibious training beaches. Linked Set Air; ground; sea YUMA = Air-air; air-ground 29 Palms = Combined Arms Live Fire Camp Pendleton = Amphibious Maneuver room required Los Angeles MCAS Yuma 3D MAW Element San Diego MCAS Miramar 3D MAW ARIZONA

How we organize to fight Marine Air-Ground Task Force Scalable - based on the mission. Not a unit; it is an organizational construct Command Element (CE) Ground Combat Element (GCE) Aviation Combat Element (ACE) Logistics Combat Element (LCE) This is a graphic of the MAGTF What distinguishes us…under one commander, unity of command and each subordinate commander understands who he works for. There is no convoluted or questionable chain of command. One commander. One purpose. One unified effort. EFFECTIVE and Flexible. The MAGTF is organized for the mission. The MAGTF is not a unit. There is no 1st MAGTF. MAGTF is an organizational (some would argue theoretical) construct that we use to develop the appropriate force. Under one commander, he is able to prioritize the efforts of the ground combat element, the aviation combat element and the combat service support element. There is no competing priorities. This unity of command principles is prevalent throughout our organization. For example, GCE: BLT example - we take a rifle battalion and give it tanks, arty, recon, tracks; AT THE BATTALION LEVEL ACE: We take a HMM and give it AV-8B’s, HMLA, and 53E’s. AT THE SQADRON LEVEL No other service does this. How is this different? The army has helicopters but they are either their own maneuver commander or they are in support of the ground element not reporting to. They have division but they are specialized in their training. The Air Force can do close air support, but their primary focus is to attack strategic targets. The Navy exemplifies unity of command to many – one ship, one commander; master and commander mentality. But the ship and the crew can not be task organized – they are designed and trained for a specific purpose. We are America’s 911 force. This organizational construct, underpinned by a powerful institutional ethos and esprit de corps, enables the Marine Corps to fulfill its Title 10 responsibilities to be “the most ready when the nation is least ready.” The MAGTF construct allows us to accomplish this legislated, by law, responsibility to the nation and our citizens. Segue: The MEF is the largest MAGTF