III Marine Expeditionary Force Exercise 21, a joint exercise that further enhanced the Navy-Marine Corps team’s ability to respond to crises or contingencies, concluded February 12.
During MEFEX, III MEF in direct coordination with U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet conducted realistic training at each echelon of its command to train III MEF staff in the planning, deployment, and command and control of a force of more than 25,000 service members who are postured forward across Japan and Hawaii.
The exercise focused on further integrating the ability of III MEF and 7th Fleet to work together across the Indo-Pacific region. MEFEX helped refine the concept of distributed maritime operations, allowing Marines and Sailors to maneuver, resupply, communicate, fight, and win while overcoming numerous challenges of operating far from larger bases.