Marines and Sailors from I Marine Expeditionary Force and the Navy's Expeditionary Strike Group 3 will plan and execute amphibious landings off the coast of California during exercise Dawn Blitz 2011, Sept. 28 through Oct. 3.
More than 700 Marines and Sailors from 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade Command Element, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 17 and Marine Aircraft Group 16 will embark on ship to conduct battlespace shaping operations, non-combatant evacuation training, operational planning, live-fire shoots, shipboard driver qualification, aircraft take-offs and landings aboard ship and the largest amphibious landing here this year.
"This exercise is an opportunity to reinforce the Navy-Marine Corps partnership and gain an appreciation for the operational and strategic necessity of this close working relationship," MajGen Spiese, commanding general of 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
Camp Pendleton's I Marine Expeditionary Force keeps 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade trained, ready and responsive should a crisis emerge with an annual series of major exercises, including Iron Fist, Pacific Horizon and Javelin Thrust. The focus of this specific exercise is to remain sharp and current on operating from the sea.
Larger than a Marine Expeditionary Unit but smaller than a Marine Expeditionary Force, a MEB is a scalable-sized force that is capable of self-sustained operations in austere environments from deserts to mountains. Its command element can deploy quickly on short notice to any place in the world to provide command and control for a wide range of contingencies, from combat missions to humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
Video footage and photos of the exercise will be posted daily for download at www.dvidshub.net/units/DB