Amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) and embarked Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in Marseille, France, for a scheduled port visit April 13.

The visit served to enhance U.S.-French relations as the two nations work together for a stable, secure and prosperous Europe.


Quote:

"The Arlington Sailors and Marines are excited to be in the beautiful city of Marseille, and we are looking forward to partaking in the rich and vibrant French culture and cuisine. We are very grateful for the hospitality and warm welcome we have received and are excited to experience everything France has to offer. "

- Capt. Sean Bailey, commanding officer, USS Arlington (LPD 24)

Quick Facts:
Engagement such as this strengthen the bonds between the U.S. and our allies and partners as we work toward mutual goals.

Arlington will attend a reception hosted by the Association France Etats-Unis, and provide numerous ship tours for the local media.

Sailors and Marines from Arlington will participate in a community-relations project with the Marseille Blue Stars American football team at a sports camp for kids.

At the most basic level, an amphibious force consists of a Navy element a group of ships known as an amphibious task force and a landing force of U.S. Marines (and occasionally, U.S. Army troops), in total about 5,000 people. Together, these elements and supporting units are trained, organized, and equipped to perform amphibious operations. The amphibious ready group consists of:

o An amphibious assault ship (LHA or LHD) -- primary landing ships, resembling small aircraft carriers, designed to put troops on hostile shores. In a secondary role, using AV-8B Harrier aircraft and anti-submarine warfare helicopters, these ships perform sea control and limited power projection missions.

o An amphibious transport dock (LPD) ship -- warships that embark, transport, and land elements of a landing force for a variety of expeditionary warfare missions.

o A dock sanding ship (LSD) -- dock landing ships support amphibious operations including landings via landing craft air cushion (LCAC), conventional landing craft and helicopters, onto hostile shores. The three classes of LSDs are the Harpers Ferry class and Whidbey Island class.

Modern U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the amphibious readiness group (ARG)/expeditionary strike group (ESG). These ships transport and land elements of the Marine expeditionary unit (MEU) or Marine expeditionary brigade (MEB) with a combination of aircraft and landing craft. A Marine expeditionary unit's missions range from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to major theater war.

This is the maiden deployment for Arlington, which was commissioned on April 6, 2013. Amphibious transport dock ships are warships that embark, transport, and land elements of a landing force for a variety of expeditionary warfare missions.

The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine expeditionary units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The MEU is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of four major parts: a command element, a ground combat element, an aviation combat element, and a logistics element.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

For more information, visit http://www.kearsarge.navy.mil


For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/.