“ARGMEUEX was created to provide essential and realistic ship-to-shore training, designed to enhance the integration of the Navy-Marine Corps team. This was a tremendous opportunity to integrate unique individual unit skills and develop the ARG-MEU’s collective proficiency in challenging and unfamiliar environments,” said Capt. Chris Farricker, commodore of Amphibious Squadron 8.

Led by the combined team of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 4 and II Marine Expeditionary Force’s Expeditionary Operations Group (EOTG), ARGMEUEX prepares integrated naval task forces for sustained, high-end Joint and combined combat to deter adversaries, underpin American security and economic prosperity, and reassure Allies and partners.

“Our Naval Forces must be well integrated and prepared for all contingencies when they deploy,” said Rear Adm. Max McCoy, commander of CSG-4. “Our partnership with EOTG creates a balanced, rigorous, and complex training environment that challenges our ARG-MEU teams to perform at the highest level across a spectrum of missions.”

Training, mentoring, and assessing ARG-MEU integrated operational planning, briefing, execution, and debriefing are fundamental to developing rapidly learning teams. Most importantly, these processes ensure Navy and Marine Corps junior officers and non-commissioned officers who win the nation’s wars have the information needed to carry out commander’s intent.

"ARGMEUEX honed the 22nd MEU (SOC)'s amphibious warfighting skills – refining the very essence of being a Marine. The IWO-ARG enables us to project combat power ashore, and this exercise further strengthened our shared readiness and lethality,” said Col. Tom Trimble, Commanding Officer of the 22nd MEU (SOC). “The IWO ARG - 22nd MEU (SOC) continuously refines its amphibious capability to ensure a decisive global response, always ready to answer our nation's call.”

During ARGMEUEX, the IWO ARG-22nd MEU (SOC) team completed a variety of integrated events such as Maritime Interdiction Operations; Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure; Amphibious Assaults; Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel; Live-Fire Exercises; Raids; Reconnaissance and Surveillance Missions; Defense of the Amphibious Task Force; Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations; and Strait Transits.

“Integrating a MEU and ARG together into a cohesive unit isn’t a foregone conclusion when they all embark the ship,” said Col. Todd Mahar, officer-in-charge of EOTG. “True integration reflects deliberate leadership decisions from the most senior down to the most junior, and requires the development of trust built on the foundation of tactical competence and confidence through discipline and repetition. Our work with CSG-4 provides an environment for ARG-MEU teams to bring all their capabilities to bear.”

The exercise emphasized the critical interdependence of the Navy and Marine Corps team from sea to shore. The key to success during evolutions like ARGMEUEX is close coordination and communication between the Navy and Marine Corps leadership.

“This exercise challenged our ability to project decisive combat power from the sea, execute specialized operations with precision, and adapt to the multifaceted challenges inherent in littoral environments,” said Farricker. “We’re looking forward to continuously building on those skills with our Marine partners, the 22nd MEU.”

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) is led by Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 8 embarked aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) and the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships USS San Antonio (LPD 17) and USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28). The 22nd MEU (SOC) provides a forward-deployed, flexible sea-based Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) capable of conducting amphibious operations, to include enabling the introduction of follow-on forces and designated special operations to meet Combatant Commander requirements.