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FORT HUACHUCA — Sounds of gunfire, explosives and soldiers yelling filled the brisk morning air Saturday as Company C of the 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion held defensive live firing training. The training was held on range 1B — a fairly new addition to Fort Huachuca. This exercise was only the second live firing done on the range. Before it opened, the option the teams had for a similar experience involved traveling to Fort Bliss in Texas. “We don’t do live fire on other ranges (on the fort),” Tanja Linton, a spokeswoman for Fort Huachuca, said. First Lieutenant and 40th Expeditionary...

China’s Military Gets Expeditionary Uncategorized | China April 15, 2011 By Gabe Collins The PLA's expeditionary capabilities will grow significantly in coming years. What are the greater implications? This is the fifth entry in our series on understanding Asia-Pacific sea power. China’s military is in the nascent stages of becoming an expeditionary force. The country’s anti-piracy deployment to the Gulf of Aden and the use of naval and air assets to support the evacuation of Chinese citizens from Libya in February and March 2011 have shown real capability in this arena. What is an expeditionary power? The US Department of...

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2009 – The Marine Corps’ first expeditionary fighting vehicles –- 17-passenger armored vehicles -- are slated to be delivered to the Marine Corps for testing in May 2010, the vehicle’s program manager said. The Marine Corps’ EFV program successfully released a critical design review in the first quarter of this fiscal year, allowing it to go into a second system development and demonstration phase. “We’re currently building seven new prototypes to that new design. Those vehicles are currently going through fabrication and machining the hulls at Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio. They’ll begin assembly this...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2009 – The Defense Department is forming a civilian expeditionary workforce that will be trained and equipped to deploy overseas in support of military missions worldwide, according to department officials. The intent of the program “is to maximize the use of the civilian workforce to allow military personnel to be fully utilized for operational requirements,” according to a Defense Department statement. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England signed Defense Department Directive 1404.10, which outlines and provides guidance about the program, on Jan. 23. Certain duty positions may be designated by the various Defense Department components to participate in...

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Nearly 3,500 Sailors and Marines of Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3 returned to San Diego Aug. 16 following a six-month deployment to the western Pacific and the Persian Gulf. ESG 3 participated in maritime security operations, protected Iraqi oil platforms in the Persian Gulf and participated in various multinational exercises. Numerous family members, friends and other supporters eagerly gathered at the base for the group’s long-awaited come back. “I can’t wait to see my husband,” said Anita Elevado, as she held their four-month-old son while waiting for Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Francis Mark Elevado assigned to...

USS IWO JIMA, At Sea (NNS) -- The Iwo Jima (LHD 7) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) passed through the Suez Canal, July 4, entering the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO). The ESG will conduct maritime security operations (MSO) throughout the region and support further tasking from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). “We're ready to begin our taskings in support of [MSO],” said Capt. Sinclair M. Harris, commodore of Amphibious Squadron 4. “Our months of training will be used to support [U.S. Naval Forces Central Command].” MSO help set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment,...

ABOARD USS IWO JIMA, At Sea (NNS) -- The USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) Expeditionary Strike Group entered the U.S. 6th Fleet’s area of operations June 12, supporting Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe's strategic initiative to strengthen emerging and enduring partnerships with the nations and navies of Greece, France, Cyprus, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. While in the theater, the approximately 6,000 U.S. Sailors and Marines assigned to the ships, submarine and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) will provide combat power and work alongside coalition naval forces to deny European waters to maritime security threats. “The Sailors and...

ABOARD USS NASSAU, AT SEA, April 9, 2006 – Expeditionary Strike Group 8 transited through the Suez Canal April 7, marking the end of more than four months of maritime security operations in the 5th Fleet area of operations. Maritime security operations help set the conditions for maritime security and stability while complementing regional nations' counter-terrorism and security efforts. The goal is to deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material. ESG-8, combining the five ships and one submarine in the Nassau Strike Group with the 22nd...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HIT, Iraq (Jan. 17, 2006) -- In the middle of a relaxed game of soccer, the frantic call for counter-fire brings the fun to an abrupt end. While the ball continues to roll, Marines of the 81mm mortar platoon race to their guns and scramble into Kevlar helmets and dusty flak jackets. “We [the 81mm mortar platoon] can do all types of missions,” said Lance Cpl. Jesse L. Evans, of Clifton Springs, N.Y., a mortarman with Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines. “We fire counter-fire missions against insurgent mortar teams, fire illumination missions, or even mark...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Nov. 5, 2005) -- Twenty-one leathernecks from Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28 practiced establishing a communications link in a forward operating base at Al Asad, Iraq. The training prepares the Marines in the event they are called upon to establish phone and Internet service in an area where communications are sketchy or nonexistent. As Marines and other forces continue to hunt down insurgent fighters in the Al Anbar province, the ability to bring communication assets to the battlefield, regardless of location, is invaluable to accomplishing the mission and bringing Marines home alive. “The bottom line is ensuring...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- A total force unit here supports joint missions to help save the lives of the coalition forces on the frontlines. The Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and active-duty nurses, medical technicians and others who make up the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron are on a mission: To transport injured and ill U.S. and coalition forces to locations where they can get the medical care they need. “We do everything that we can do to make sure that the people we treat have every chance at recovering from their injuries and being reunited with...

THE MEXICAN EXPEDITIONARY AIR FORCE IN WORLD WAR II THE ORGANIZATION, TRAINING, AND OPERATIONS OF THE 201st SQUADRON The Mexican Expeditionary Air Force is Mexico's only military organization that saw combat overseas in World War II. This organization and its operational unit, the 201st Squadron, were part of the Allied forces that battled against the Axis in the South West Pacific Area. However, there are few history works that mention the participation of this unit. Hence, the history of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force is not well known. The Mexican Expeditionary Air Force was part of the Allied forces in...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, who disappeared in Iraq in June and later turned up in Lebanon claiming he had been kidnapped by militants, was charged on Thursday with desertion, the Marine Corps said. After a five-month investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Hassoun "is alleged to have taken unauthorized leave of the unit where he served as an Arabic interpreter," the service said in a release from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Hassoun was also charged with loss of government property and theft of a 9mm military pistol. The charges will now be considered by...

By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, Monday, January 19, 2004 MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — About 1,100 airmen from Pacific Air Forces are preparing to deploy in March as part of the next Air Expeditionary Force rotation cycle. Airmen in the so-called “stressed” career fields of security forces, services, transportation, intelligence and communications can expect to be gone upward of 179 days, though some may return sooner, Staff Sgt. Martin Jackson, a PACAF spokesman, said in a written response to a Stars and Stripes query. Last week, Gen. William Begert, PACAF commander, told reporters in Washington that...