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The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a formation of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). It advertises itself as a "middleweight" crises response force of choice in the European and Southern Command Areas of Operation. It is able to "operate independently, as a service component, or to lead a Joint Task Force". Self-sufficient and interoperable, the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade possesses a mix of command and control, combat power and specialized logistics. Operating as part of the greater Marine Corps team and with support from the United States Navy and other services, it can provide great operational reach. These capabilities afford the brigade commander the ability to sustain his force of 20,000 Marines, influence an area the size of West Virginia, and support a city of 30,000 50,000 without dependence on host nation support or regional infrastructure. Current subordinate units History In 1991 the 2nd MEB made the first test of the Norway Air-Landed Marine Expeditionary Brigade (NALMEB), comprised completely of Marine Corps Reserve units as Operation Desert Storm was getting under way. The exercise was designated Battle Griffin and took place in February March 1991. The force comprised HQ Company 25th Marines, 3-25 Marines, Co E, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, and 1-14 Marines.[1] The 2nd MEB became Task Force Tarawa, commanded by Brigadier General Richard F. Natonski, for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and, as TF Tarawa, was thus part of the 2003 invasion of Iraq under I Marine Expeditionary Force. It became Task Force Leatherneck, commanded by BGen Lawrence Nicholson during the 2009 10 deployment to Afghanistan for NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). See also References External links
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