U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Brandon Garton, a student taking the Joint Humanitarian Operations Course, presents for a group exercise during the course aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 22, 2023. The course trains and prepares the II Marine Expeditionary Force Command Element to become a Joint Task Force–Capable headquarters; able to rapidly organize and establish command and control of joint forces to effectively execute potential humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions in joint and multinational environments. - U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Brandon Garton, a student taking the Joint Humanitarian Operations Course, presents for a group exercise during the course aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 22, 2023. The course trains and prepares the II Marine Expeditionary Force Command Element to become a Joint Task Force–Capable headquarters; able to rapidly organize and establish command and control of joint forces to effectively execute potential humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions in joint and multinational environments.

U.S. Marines with Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/6, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct boat patrols during a littoral movement as part of MEU Exercise III on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 11, 2023. BLT 1/6 continues to enhance rigid-hulled inflatable boat readiness through conducting on and off and shore to shore drills prior to deployment. The 11m RHIBs provide a high-speed, long –range, low-signature combatant craft capable of projecting and recovering Marines for a variety of missions - U.S. Marines with Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/6, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct boat patrols during a littoral movement as part of MEU Exercise III on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 11, 2023. BLT 1/6 continues to enhance rigid-hulled inflatable boat readiness through conducting on and off and shore to shore drills prior to deployment. The 11m RHIBs provide a high-speed, long –range, low-signature combatant craft capable of projecting and recovering Marines for a variety of missions.

U.S. Marines assigned to Task Force 61 pose for a group photo at Naval Support Activity, Naples, Italy, January 27, 2023. - U.S. Marines assigned to Task Force 61 pose for a group photo at Naval Support Activity, Naples, Italy, January 27, 2023.

U.S. Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, help a local civilian to a treatment site while supporting Continuing Promise 2022 in Jeremie, Haiti, Dec. 12, 2022. The Continuing Promise mission includes providing direct medical care and expeditionary veterinary care, conducting training and subject matter expert exchanges on various medical and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief topics, and leading seminars on Women, Peace, and Security. - U.S. Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, help a local civilian to a treatment site while supporting Continuing Promise 2022 in Jeremie, Haiti, Dec. 12, 2022. The Continuing Promise mission includes providing direct medical care and expeditionary veterinary care, conducting training and subject matter expert exchanges on various medical and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief topics, and leading seminars on Women, Peace, and Security.

U.S. Marines assigned to II Marine Expeditionary Force board the Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport USNS Trenton (T-EPF 5) in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Nov. 16, 2022. Marines assigned to II MEF, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, embarked aboard USNS Trenton to improve interoperability while refining the U.S. capability to rapidly deploy forces aboard U.S. Navy expeditionary fast transport vessels. - U.S. Marines assigned to II Marine Expeditionary Force board the Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport USNS Trenton (T-EPF 5) in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Nov. 16, 2022. Marines assigned to II MEF, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, embarked aboard USNS Trenton to improve interoperability while refining the U.S. capability to rapidly deploy forces aboard U.S. Navy expeditionary fast transport vessels.

U.S. Marines with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2d Marine Division, fire a TOW missile system over water on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 19, 2022. In order to enhance the Marine Corps’ capability to control littoral areas with a reduced footprint, 2d LAR facilitated the employment of a TOW missile fired from a LAV-AT utilizing a radio frequency signal between the launch tube and missile. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Emma Gray) - U.S. Marines with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2d Marine Division, fire a TOW missile system over water on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 19, 2022.

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Sarah Murphy, a MAGTF planner assigned to 2nd Marine Logistics Group, participates in the Basic Analytic Wargaming Course on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 22, 2022. The BAWC is a 5-day course that provides students a hands-on experience with designing, developing, executing, and analyzing wargames. Wargames are a form of strategy game and essential to applying Marine Corps concepts of the 21st century, replicating or creating military scenarios that assists military personnel to train the mind in the art of strategic thinking. - U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Sarah Murphy, a MAGTF planner assigned to 2nd Marine Logistics Group, participates in the Basic Analytic Wargaming Course on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 22, 2022. The BAWC is a 5-day course that provides students a hands-on experience with designing, developing, executing, and analyzing wargames. Wargames are a form of strategy game and essential to applying Marine Corps concepts of the 21st century, replicating or creating military scenarios that assists military personnel to train the mind in the art of strategic thinking.

Col. Victor Pastor, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3/5, 4th Marine Division, discusses force design and establishing a crisis response force Dec. 15, 2021, at Marine Corps Support Facility New Orleans. II MEF and MARFORRES are the Marine Corps’ service-retained forces administratively and operationally controlled by the Marine Corps instead of a combatant command, such as most Marines stationed in California and Japan who are aligned to support U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The importance of these operational planning teams is to establish the process needed to create an effective service-retained crisis response force to respond to global threats outside of USINDOPACOM area of responsibility. MARFORRES and II MEF are the Marine Corps’ service-retained forces, which means they are administratively and operationally controlled by the Marine Corps. - Col. Victor Pastor, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3/5, 4th Marine Division, discusses force design and establishing a crisis response force Dec. 15, 2021, at Marine Corps Support Facility New Orleans. II MEF and MARFORRES are the Marine Corps’ service-retained forces administratively and operationally controlled by the Marine Corps instead of a combatant command, such as most Marines stationed in California and Japan who are aligned to support U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The importance of these operational planning teams is to establish the process needed to create an effective service-retained crisis response force to respond to global threats outside of USINDOPACOM area of responsibility. MARFORRES and II MEF are the Marine Corps’ service-retained forces, which means they are administratively and operationally controlled by the Marine Corps.

Norwegian Army Lt. Col. Per Espen Strande, commanding officer, Norwegian Military Intelligence Battalion, exchanges a challenge coin with U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Eric Tee, commanding officer, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, during a visit aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Sept. 15, 2021. II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) intelligence commanders welcomed their counterparts with a tour of facilities and workspaces showcasing their capabilities. II MEF hosts also briefed on intelligence integration, mission accomplishment, and strengthening partnerships amongst the individual units. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jesus Sepulveda Torres) - Norwegian Army Lt. Col. Per Espen Strande, commanding officer, Norwegian Military Intelligence Battalion, exchanges a challenge coin with U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Eric Tee, commanding officer, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, during a visit aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Sept. 15, 2021. II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) intelligence commanders welcomed their counterparts with a tour of facilities and workspaces showcasing their capabilities. II MEF hosts also briefed on intelligence integration, mission accomplishment, and strengthening partnerships amongst the individual units. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jesus Sepulveda Torres)