1st Marine Expeditionary Force
Encyclopedia
The I Marine Expeditionary Force is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) of the United States Marine Corps
primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
, and 1st Marine Logistics Group
. Among Marines, it is common to pronounce I MEF as "eye mef", "first mef", or "one mef".
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
The 3d Marine Aircraft Wing is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and provides the aviation combat element for I Marine Expeditionary Force...
, and 1st Marine Logistics Group
1st Marine Logistics Group
The 1st Marine Logistics Group is a logistics unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, with detachments located at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center...
. Among Marines, it is common to pronounce I MEF as "eye mef", "first mef", or "one mef".
Mission
When directed, I MEF deploys and is employed as a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) in support of Combatant Commander (COCOM) requirements for contingency response or Major Theater War; with appropriate augmentation, serves as the core element of a Joint Task Force (JTF); prepares and deploys combat ready MAGTF’s to support COCOM presence and crisis response; and supports service and COCOM initiatives as required.Lineage
- Activated on 8 November 1969 at Okinawa, Japan as the I Marine Expeditionary Force
- Redesignated on 18 August 1970 as the I Marine Amphibious Force (I MAF)
- Relocated in April 1971 to Camp Pendleton, California
- Redesignated on 5 February 1988 as the "I Marine Expeditionary Force"
Structure
Units
- Ground combat elementGround combat elementIn the United States Marine Corps, the Ground combat element is the land force of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force . It provides power projection and force for the MAGTF.-Role within the MAGTF:...
: 1st Marine Division - Aviation combat elementAviation combat elementIn the United States Marine Corps, the aviation combat element or air combat element is the air arm of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force . It provides rotary-wing, tiltrotor, and fixed-wing aircraft, support equipment, pilots, maintenance personnel, as well as command and control assets to the...
: 3rd Marine Air Wing - Logistics combat elementLogistics Combat ElementIn the United States Marine Corps, the Logistics Combat Element , formerly combat service support element, is the portion of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force responsible with providing logistical support...
: 1st Marine Logistics Group1st Marine Logistics GroupThe 1st Marine Logistics Group is a logistics unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, with detachments located at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center... - Command elementCommand element (United States Marine Corps)In the United States Marine Corps, the command element or CE is the command and control force of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force . It provides C3I for the MAGTF.-Role within the MAGTF:...
: I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group- I MEF command staff
- 1st Intelligence Battalion1st Intelligence Battalion1st Intelligence Battalion is a United States Marine Corps military intelligence and counter intelligence unit based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton...
- 9th Communication Battalion9th Communication Battalion9th Communication Battalion is a communications battalion in the United States Marine Corps. It is part of the I Marine Expeditionary Force and is headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.-Subordinate units:...
- 1st Radio Battalion
- 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company
- 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States)1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a unit in the I Marine Expeditionary Force and is the "middleweight" crisis response force of choice in the European and Southern Command Areas of Operation...
- 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit11th Marine Expeditionary UnitThe 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced...
- 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit13th Marine Expeditionary UnitThe 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced...
- 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit15th Marine Expeditionary UnitThe 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel...
Recent Service
- Operation Desert Shield – Southwest Asia – August 1990 – April 1991
- Operation Desert Storm – Southwest Asia – August 1990 – April 1991
- Operation Restore Hope- December 1992 – May 1993
- Operation Southern WatchOperation Southern WatchOperation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
– IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
– January 1998 – February 1998 - Operation Desert ThunderOperation Desert ThunderOperation Desert Thunder was a response to threats by Iraq's president Saddam Hussein to shoot down U-2 spy planes, and violate the no-fly zone set up over his country. The operation was designed to bring stability to the region by bringing in a military presence during the negotiations between...
– IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
– February 1998 – June 1998 - Operation Enduring Freedom – KuwaitKuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Afghanistan – November 2002 - Operation Iraqi Freedom – IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
– March 2003 – 2010
Notable commanders
- Gen Anthony ZinniAnthony ZinniAnthony Charles Zinni is a retired four-star General in the United States Marine Corps and a former Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command...
- Gen Michael HageeMichael HageeGeneral Michael W. Hagee was the 33rd Commandant of the United States Marine Corps , succeeding James L. Jones on January 13, 2003. He stepped down as Commandant two months before the end of his four-year term, and was succeeded by General James T. Conway on November 13, 2006...
- Gen James T. ConwayJames T. ConwayJames Terry Conway is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who was the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps...
- Gen James MattisJames MattisJames N. Mattis is a United States Marine Corps general and the current commander of United States Central Command. Having replaced David Petraeus on August 11, 2010, he previously commanded United States Joint Forces Command from November 9, 2007 to August 2010 and served concurrently as NATO's...
- LGen John F. SattlerJohn F. SattlerLieutenant General John F. Sattler, United States Marine Corps, was the Director of Strategic Plans and Policy, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was also concurrently the United States' representative to the Military Staff Committee of the United Nations....