Expeditionary Strike Group 3 and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) met to discuss Littoral Combat Force Implementation and Integration Initiative (LCF-I3) in Monterey, California, on October 9, 2018.

Rear Admiral Cedric E. Pringle, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3 (ESG3), discussed fifth generation assets, weapons systems and future plans for the strike group with professors, students and advisors at NPS.

"LCF-I3 affords us an opportunity to speak with our naval innovators," said Pringle. "By collaborating with Naval Postgraduate School, we are able to directly ask the students hard questions we are being posed on the waterfront and across the fleet, and work together to come up with solutions."

Pringle asked the students to analyze their processes at all levels in order to generate and integrate next generation capabilities.

This innovation effort included topics such as effective integration of the Marine Corps team on future amphibious assets, future weapon system augmentation and the littoral combat force organization.

ESG-3 comprises three amphibious squadrons, eight naval support elements and 15 amphibious warships comprised of more than 15,000 active-duty and reserve Sailors and Marines. The mission of ESG-3 is to serve as the command element for Marine expeditionary-brigade level expeditionary operations as commander of an amphibious task force.

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