I Marine Expeditionary Force

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= I Marine Expeditionary Force


caption= I MEF insignia
dates= *November 8, 1969 - present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= USMC
type= Marine Air-Ground Task Force
role= Expeditionary combat forces
size=
command_structure= Marine Forces Pacific
current_commander= Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland
garrison= Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles= Operation Desert Storm
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
* 2003 invasion of Iraq
* Operation Vigilant Resolve
* Operation Phantom Fury
anniversaries=

The 1st 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".

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 November 8, 1969 at Okinawa, Japan as the I Marine Expeditionary Force
*Redesignated on August 18, 1970 as the I Marine Amphibious Force (I MAF)
*Relocated in April 1971 to Camp Pendleton, California
*Redesignated on February 5, 1988 as the "I Marine Expeditionary Force"

Structure

Units

* Ground combat element: 1st Marine Division
* Aviation combat element: 3rd Marine Air Wing
* Logistics combat element: 1st Marine Logistics Group
* Command element: I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group
** II MEF command staff
** 1st Intelligence Battalion
** 9th Communication Battalion
** 1st Radio Battalion
** 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company
** 1st Force Reconnaissance Company
* 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade
* 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit
* 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit
* 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit

Recent Service

command structure
name= I MEF composition for Operation Iraqi Freedom
date=
parent=
subordinate=I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Force Service Support Group, I MEF Engineering Group, Task Force Tarawa, 15th MEU, 24th MEU, 1st Armoured Division (United Kingdom) . [Reynolds "Baghdad, Basrah and Beyond", pg. 169.]
*Operation Spade - Philippines - 1986
*Operation Black Knight - Panama - 1987 - classified
*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 Watch - Iraq - January 1998 - February 1998
*Operation Desert Thunder - Iraq - February 1998 - June 1998
*Operation Enduring Freedom - Kuwait, Afghanistan - November 2002
*Operation Iraqi Freedom - Iraq - March 2003 - present, as of 2007

Notable commanders

* Gen Anthony Zinni
* Gen Michael Hagee
* Gen James T. Conway
* LGen James Mattis
* LGen John F. Sattler

References

External links

* [http://www.i-mef.usmc.mil/ I MEF official website]