1975-2007 For more than 20 years, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit has provided combatant commanders throughout the Mediterranean region, and beyond, a potent, highly adaptive, rapid reaction force capable of conducting multiple and concurrent missions in support of a spectrum of operations. Since its establishment in the early 1970s as the 36th Marine Amphibious Unit, the MEU has conducted several deployments and participated in numerous contingency operations and training exercises.
For more than 20 years, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit has provided combatant commanders throughout the Mediterranean region, and beyond, a potent, highly adaptive, rapid reaction force capable of conducting multiple and concurrent missions in support of a spectrum of operations. Since its establishment in the early 1970s as the 36th Marine Amphibious Unit, the MEU has conducted several deployments and participated in numerous contingency operations and training exercises.
1975 -- 36th MAU participates in Exercise Staff Zugel in the Federal Republic of Germany. This marks the first time since World War I that Marines took a combined arms force ashore in Germany. 1982 -- Unit redesigned as 26th Marine Amphibious Unit. 1985 -- Rotation cycle of three MAUs on the East Coast is initiated. 1985 -- 26th MAU becomes first unit to undergo Special Operations Capability training and earn the SOC qualification. 1985 -- 26th MAU becomes first unit to have AV8-B Harriers attached. 1988 -- All Marine Amphibious Units redesigned as Marine Expeditionary Units. 1991 -- 26th MEU supports Operation Desert Shield by providing a "Show of Force" in the Mediterranean, and participates in Operation Sharp Edge, a non-combatant evacuation operation of Liberia. 1992 -- 26th MEU participates in Operations Provide Promise, Deny Flight and Sharp Guard off the coast of Yugoslavia. 1994 -- 26th MEU participates in ceremonies marking the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. 1994 -- 26th MEU supports Operation Restore Hope off the coast of Somalia and participates in continuing operations in Bosnia. 1995 -- 26th MEU becomes the first MEU to deploy with M-1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks. 1996 -- 26th MEU becomes the first MEU to deploy with the Joint Task Force Enabler communications package. 1997 -- 26th MEU launches Operation Silver Wake, evacuating American citizens and Third Country Nationals from Albania. 1997 -- 26th MEU participates in Operation Guardian Retrieval, the staging of forces in Congo for a possible evacuation of Zaire. 1998 -- 26th MEU serves as the Headquarters for the Strategic Reserve Force during Exercise Dynamic Response in Bosnia. The SRF is a multinational force made up of forces from the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Romania, Poland and the United States. 1998 -- 26th MEU participates in Determined Falcon, the one-day NATO aerial show-of-force in Kosovo. April - May 1999 -- 26th MEU participates in Operations Noble Anvil and Shining Hope. While supporting Noble Anvil, the NATO bombing Campaign in Kosovo with AV-8B Harrier Attack Aircraft, the MEU also provided security for Kosovar Refugees at Camps Hope and Eagle in Albania. June - July 1999 -- 26th MEU participates in Operation Joint Guardian, as the first U.S. Peacekeepers in Kosovo the Marines and the Sailors of the MEU provided stability to the embattled region. August 1999 -- 26th MEU participates in Operation Avid Response, providing Humanitarian Assistance to the people of Western Turkey left homeless by a devastating earthquake. September 1999 -- The 26th MEU participates in Exercises Atlas Hinge in Tunisia and Northern Approach in Turkey. September 2000 -- The 26th MEU conducted Adriatic presence operations during the election crisis in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The MEU also participated in exercises Atlas Hinge in Tunisia and Croatian Phibex 2000, the first ever bi-lateral exercise between the Marine Corps and the Croatian Armed Forces. October 2000 -- The 26th MEU supported diplomatic initiatives during unrest in Israel while simultaneous taking part in the NATO exercise Destined Glory 2000. November 2000 -- The 26th MEU continued to break new ground by the second ever bi-lateral exercise between the Marine Corps and the Croatian Armed Forces, exercise Slunj 2000. During this exercise the 26th MEU's Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment launched the first ever Javelin anti-tank missile fired by a deployed MEU. November 2001 - February 2002 -- The 26th MEU (SOC) was among the first U.S. Forces into Afghanistan as part of Operations Enduring Freedom and Swift Freedom. MEU (SOC) Marines participated in the 450 mile seizure of Camp Rhino and Kandahar Airport, and constructed a detainment facility that held more than 400 Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists. March 2003 - The 26th MEU added to its list of historic operations while afloat in the Mediterranean in 2003. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Marine Corps KC-130s traveled 1,100 miles and delivered MEU Marines directly to the battlefield in Mosul, Iraq - a feat never before attempted. August-September 2003 - The 26th MEU served as the primary tactical unit during operations in support of Joint Task Force Liberia. The MEU capitalized on its extensive training in humanitarian assistance operations and U.S. Embassy relations to help bring peace to the war-torn nation following the exile of former Liberian president Charles Taylor. April-August 2005 - The 26th MEU conducts exercises and operations in eight countries including Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Iraq and Jordan. July-August 2005 - Several hundred Marines and Sailors from the 26th MEU conduct Operation Sea Horse in Iraq, supporting British-led Multi-National Division Southeast with a mission to detect and deter illicit activity along the Iraqi border. The MEU maintained command and control of Operation Sea Horse from aboard ship in the Northern Arabian Gulf, while simultaneously and concurrently conducting training missions in Saudi Arabia and Djibouti. January 2007 - 26th MEU first MEU to deploy with a Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) detachment
1975 -- 36th MAU participates in Exercise Staff Zugel in the Federal Republic of Germany. This marks the first time since World War I that Marines took a combined arms force ashore in Germany.
1982 -- Unit redesigned as 26th Marine Amphibious Unit.
1985 -- Rotation cycle of three MAUs on the East Coast is initiated.
1985 -- 26th MAU becomes first unit to undergo Special Operations Capability training and earn the SOC qualification.
1985 -- 26th MAU becomes first unit to have AV8-B Harriers attached.
1988 -- All Marine Amphibious Units redesigned as Marine Expeditionary Units.
1991 -- 26th MEU supports Operation Desert Shield by providing a "Show of Force" in the Mediterranean, and participates in Operation Sharp Edge, a non-combatant evacuation operation of Liberia.
1992 -- 26th MEU participates in Operations Provide Promise, Deny Flight and Sharp Guard off the coast of Yugoslavia.
1994 -- 26th MEU participates in ceremonies marking the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France.
1994 -- 26th MEU supports Operation Restore Hope off the coast of Somalia and participates in continuing operations in Bosnia.
1995 -- 26th MEU becomes the first MEU to deploy with M-1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks.
1996 -- 26th MEU becomes the first MEU to deploy with the Joint Task Force Enabler communications package.
1997 -- 26th MEU launches Operation Silver Wake, evacuating American citizens and Third Country Nationals from Albania.
1997 -- 26th MEU participates in Operation Guardian Retrieval, the staging of forces in Congo for a possible evacuation of Zaire.
1998 -- 26th MEU serves as the Headquarters for the Strategic Reserve Force during Exercise Dynamic Response in Bosnia. The SRF is a multinational force made up of forces from the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Romania, Poland and the United States.
1998 -- 26th MEU participates in Determined Falcon, the one-day NATO aerial show-of-force in Kosovo.
April - May 1999 -- 26th MEU participates in Operations Noble Anvil and Shining Hope. While supporting Noble Anvil, the NATO bombing Campaign in Kosovo with AV-8B Harrier Attack Aircraft, the MEU also provided security for Kosovar Refugees at Camps Hope and Eagle in Albania.
June - July 1999 -- 26th MEU participates in Operation Joint Guardian, as the first U.S. Peacekeepers in Kosovo the Marines and the Sailors of the MEU provided stability to the embattled region.
August 1999 -- 26th MEU participates in Operation Avid Response, providing Humanitarian Assistance to the people of Western Turkey left homeless by a devastating earthquake.
September 1999 -- The 26th MEU participates in Exercises Atlas Hinge in Tunisia and Northern Approach in Turkey.
September 2000 -- The 26th MEU conducted Adriatic presence operations during the election crisis in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The MEU also participated in exercises Atlas Hinge in Tunisia and Croatian Phibex 2000, the first ever bi-lateral exercise between the Marine Corps and the Croatian Armed Forces.
October 2000 -- The 26th MEU supported diplomatic initiatives during unrest in Israel while simultaneous taking part in the NATO exercise Destined Glory 2000.
November 2000 -- The 26th MEU continued to break new ground by the second ever bi-lateral exercise between the Marine Corps and the Croatian Armed Forces, exercise Slunj 2000. During this exercise the 26th MEU's Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment launched the first ever Javelin anti-tank missile fired by a deployed MEU.
November 2001 - February 2002 -- The 26th MEU (SOC) was among the first U.S. Forces into Afghanistan as part of Operations Enduring Freedom and Swift Freedom. MEU (SOC) Marines participated in the 450 mile seizure of Camp Rhino and Kandahar Airport, and constructed a detainment facility that held more than 400 Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists.
March 2003 - The 26th MEU added to its list of historic operations while afloat in the Mediterranean in 2003. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Marine Corps KC-130s traveled 1,100 miles and delivered MEU Marines directly to the battlefield in Mosul, Iraq - a feat never before attempted.
August-September 2003 - The 26th MEU served as the primary tactical unit during operations in support of Joint Task Force Liberia. The MEU capitalized on its extensive training in humanitarian assistance operations and U.S. Embassy relations to help bring peace to the war-torn nation following the exile of former Liberian president Charles Taylor.
April-August 2005 - The 26th MEU conducts exercises and operations in eight countries including Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Iraq and Jordan.
July-August 2005 - Several hundred Marines and Sailors from the 26th MEU conduct Operation Sea Horse in Iraq, supporting British-led Multi-National Division Southeast with a mission to detect and deter illicit activity along the Iraqi border. The MEU maintained command and control of Operation Sea Horse from aboard ship in the Northern Arabian Gulf, while simultaneously and concurrently conducting training missions in Saudi Arabia and Djibouti.
January 2007 - 26th MEU first MEU to deploy with a Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) detachment
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