A Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) is a formation of the United States Marine Corps

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...

, a Marine Air-Ground Task Force

Marine Air-Ground Task Force

The Marine Air-Ground Task Force is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined arms task organization of Marine Corps forces under a single commander that...

 of approximately 14,500 Marines and Sailors constructed around a reinforced infantry

Infantry

Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

 regiment

Regiment

A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...

, a composite Marine aircraft group

Group (air force)

A group is a military aviation unit, a component of military organization and a military formation. Usage of the terms group and wing differ from one country to another, as well as different branches of a defence force, in some cases...

, a logistics group and a command element

Command 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:...

. The MEB, commanded by a general officer (usually a Major General

Major General

Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

 or sometimes a Brigadier General

Brigadier General

Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...

), is task-organized to meet the requirements of a specific situation. It can function as part of a joint task force

Task force

A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...

, as the lead echelon of the Marine Expeditionary Force

Marine Expeditionary Force

A Marine Expeditionary Force or MEF is the largest type of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force...

 (MEF), or alone. It varies in size and composition, and is larger than a Marine Expeditionary Unit

Marine Expeditionary Unit

A Marine expeditionary unit , formerly called Marine amphibious unit , is the smallest Marine air-ground task force in the United States Fleet Marine Force...

 (MEU) but smaller than a MEF. The MEB is capable of conducting missions across the full range of military operations.

Command Element (CE)

• MEB Staff
• Detachment, Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company
• Detachment, Communications Battalion
• Detachment, Force Reconnaissance Company
  United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance
  The Force Reconnaissance Companies , are one of the United States Marine Corps's special operations "capable" forces that provide essential elements of military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force ; supporting the landing or joint task force commanders, and...
  
  
• Detachment, Intelligence Battalion
• Detachment, Radio Battalion
  Radio Battalion
  Radio Battalions are tactical electronic warfare units of the United States Marine Corps. There are currently three operational Radio Battalions in the Marine Corps organization: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd...
  
  

Ground Combat Element (GCE)

• Infantry Regiment, reinforced
• 17 M1A1 Abrams
  M1 Abrams
  The M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank produced in the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The M1 is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for...
  
   Tanks
• 47 AAV
  Amphibious Assault Vehicle
  The Assault Amphibious Vehicle —official designation AAV-7A1 is a fully tracked amphibious landing vehicle manufactured by U.S. Combat Systems .The AAV-7A1 is the current amphibious troop transport of the United States Marine Corps...
  
  
• 27 LAV
  LAV 25
  The LAV-25 is an eight-wheeled amphibious reconnaissance vehicle used by the United States Marine Corps. It was built by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada and is based on the Swiss MOWAG Piranha I 8x8 family of armored fighting vehicles....
  
  
• 24 M777 howitzer
  M777 howitzer
  The M777 howitzer is a towed 155 mm artillery piece, successor to the M198 howitzer in the United States Marine Corps and United States Army. The M777 is also used by the Canadian Army, and has been in action in Afghanistan since February 2006 along with the associated GPS-guided Excalibur...
  
  
• 24 81mm mortars
  M252 Mortar
  The M252 81 mm medium weight mortar is an American smooth bore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used for long-range indirect fire support to light infantry, air assault, and airborne units across the entire front of a battalion zone of influence. In the U.S. Army and U.S...
  
  
• 36 60mm mortars
  M224 Mortar
  The M224 60 mm Lightweight Mortar is a smooth bore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used for close-in support of ground troops.-Description:The M224 system is composed of the*M225 Cannon *M170 Bipod...
  
  
• 24 TOW missile
  BGM-71 TOW
  The BGM-71 TOW is an anti-tank missile. "BGM" is a weapon classification that stands for "Multiple Environment , Surface-Attack , Missile ". "TOW" is an acronym that stands for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire command data link, guided missile"...
  
   launchers

Aviation Combat Element (ACE)

• Marine Aircraft Group (MAG)
• 40 AV-8B
• 24 F/A-18
  F/A-18 Hornet
  The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
  
  
• 4 EA-6B
  EA-6 Prowler
  The Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, mid-wing electronic warfare aircraft modified from the basic A-6 Intruder airframe. The EA-6B has been in service with the U.S...
  
  
• 6 KC-130
  C-130 Hercules
  The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
  
  
• 32 CH-53D/E
  CH-53 Sea Stallion
  The CH-53 Sea Stallion is the most common name for the Sikorsky S-65 family of heavy-lift transport helicopters. Originally developed for use by the United States Marine Corps, it is also in service with Germany, Iran, Israel, and Mexico...
  
  
• 12 AH-1W
  AH-1 SuperCobra
  The Bell AH-1 SuperCobra is a twin-engine attack helicopter based on the US Army's AH-1 Cobra. The twin Cobra family includes the AH-1J SeaCobra, the AH-1T Improved SeaCobra, and the AH-1W SuperCobra...
  
  
• 48 CH-46E
  CH-46 Sea Knight
  The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is a medium-lift tandem rotor transport helicopter, used by the United States Marine Corps to provide all-weather, day-or-night assault transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment. Assault Support is its primary function, and the movement of supplies and...
  
   or V-22
  V-22 Osprey
  The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing , and short takeoff and landing capability...
  
  
• 12 UH-1N
  UH-1N Twin Huey
  The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter that first flew in April, 1969. The UH-1N has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the UH-1N has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ . An external load of 5,000 lb can be carried...
  
  
• 45 Stinger missile
  FIM-92 Stinger
  The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile , which can be adapted to fire from ground vehicles and helicopters , developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981. Used by the militaries of the U.S...
  
   teams

Logistics Combat Element (LCE)

• Combat Logistics Regiment (CLR)
• 1 medium girder bridge
• 6 cranes:
  • 1 30-ton crane
  • 5 7.5-ton cranes
• 2 600k-gal fuel systems
• 44 100-kW generators
• 75 5-ton trucks
  M939 Truck
  The M939 series 5-ton 6x6 truck is a family of United States military logistical transportation trucks which was designed in the late 1980s and has been in service ever since. About 32,000 M939 series trucks are in service...
  
  
• 9 Water purifying units
  Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit
  A reverse osmosis water purification unit is a portable, self-contained water treatment plant. Designed for military use, it can provide potable water from nearly any water source. There are many models in use by the United States armed forces and the Canadian Forces...
  
  
• 116 forklifts
• 5 bulldozer
  Bulldozer
  A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
  
  s
• 3 road graders
  Grader
  A grader, also commonly referred to as a road grader, a blade, a maintainer, or a motor grader, is a construction machine with a long blade used to create a flat surface. Typical models have three axles, with the engine and cab situated above the rear axles at one end of the vehicle and a third...
  
  

List of MEBs

• 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States)
  1st 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...
  
  
• 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States)
  2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States)
  The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a formation of the II Marine Expeditionary Force . It advertises itself as a "middleweight" crises response force of choice in the European and Southern Command Areas of Operation. It is able to "operate independently, as a service component, or to lead a...
  
  
• 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States)
  3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States)
  The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a United States Marine Corps unit that is the "middleweight" crises response force of choice in the Pacific Area of Operation...
  
  

Historical MEBs

The following MEBs were deployed operationally:

• Task Force Tarawa
  Task Force Tarawa
  Task Force Tarawa was the name given to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. They were a Marine Air-Ground Task Force commanded by Brigadier General Richard F...
  
   for the Iraq War
• Task Force Leatherneck
  Task Force Leatherneck
  Task Force Leatherneck or MEB-Afghanistan is a a Marine Air-Ground Task Force currently operating in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The name was originally given to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade during its 2009-10 for Operation Enduring Freedom as part of Regional Command South...
  
   for the Afghanistan War
  War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
  The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
  
  
• 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States) for the Vietnam War
  Vietnam War
  The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
  
  - deployed March 8, 1965