The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and America Amphibious Ready Group executed a simulated visit, board, search, and seizure mission, here, Sept. 6, 2020. The exercise began with detailed planning across all three ships assigned to the America ARG. During the execution, dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) posed as a foreign ship that had been identified as a non-compliant vessel transporting illicit cargo, while amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) and amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) carried out the simulated mission...
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For the first time since former President Ronald Reagan’s Administration, the Marine Corps is fielding a new service-wide pistol replacement. Marine Corps Systems Command began fielding the M18 Modular Handgun System in September. This striker-fired, semi-automatic, 9-mm pistol is based on the Sig Sauer Model P320. The M18 will replace all other pistols in the Marine Corps inventory, including the M9, M9A1, M45A1 and M007...
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Shipmates, in my first 100 days as your Secretary, I have had several opportunities to engage with many of you across the fleet. As some of you may have heard during my confirmation hearing, re-establishing a strong culture starting with leadership, trust up and down the chain of command, upholding good order and discipline, and empowering people to embrace their responsibilities have all been top priorities for me. My conversations with many of you have filled me with great pride and confidence in where our force is headed. These interactions reinforced what I already knew when I took this job...
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A Marine Corps vehicle designed to transport International Standards Organization containers to supply Fleet Marines just reached a key acquisition milestone. The Rough Terrain Container Handler moves 20-to-40-foot ISO containers and shelters on rough terrain, beaches and other surfaces to assist with land and amphibious missions. The machine can lift and transport objects weighing more than 50,000 pounds. In September 2020, an upgraded version of the material handler reached full-rate production...
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