MORON, Spain -- On Saturday, July 26, 2014, the Marines and Sailors of Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response (SP-MAGTF CR) provided support to a military assisted departure of the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya.
A combination of ground and aviation forces were used by the Marines to assist in the departure of the U.S. civilian personnel which began at approximately 5a.m. that morning. Some of the assets used by the Marines included MV-22B tiltrotor Ospreys and KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft.
Based on the current security situation in Libya, and in coordination with the Department of State, the Marines were forward positioned out of the Naval Air Station in Sigonella, Italy, in order to provide rapid response to this operation.
The SP-MAGTF CR is organized and trained to respond quickly to a broad range of military operations, including embassy reinforcement, military assisted departure operations, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief operations, recovery capabilities of aircraft and personnel, and other missions as directed.