Page 48 - Maritime Services and the Kill Web

The Maritime Services, the Allies and Shaping the Kill Web

Joining the 15th MEU Command Element is 1st Battalion, 5th Marines serving as the Ground Combat Element,
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 (Reinforced) serving as the Aviation Combat Element, and Combat
Logistics Battalion 15 serving as the Logistics Combat Element.

“This Navy-Marine Corps team is comprised of some of the most historic units in Navy and Marine Corps history,”
said Col. Joseph Clearfield, 15th MEU commanding officer.

“We will honor this lineage by deploying as a strong, flexible, consistent, and responsive crisis response force.”
The 15th MEU’s training cycle will begin with Marine Corps-specific training and progress to full Navy/Marine
Corps joint evolutions throughout the six month pre-deployment period, culminating with a Certification Exercise
to test the readiness of the America Amphibious Ready Group and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The three ships that will compose the America Amphibious Ready Group are the

USS America (LHA-6), USS San Diego (LPD-22) and USS Pearl Harbor (LSD- 52).
The flagship, USS America, adds a unique aspect to the 15th MEU in that it is the first of its kind to be built with
additional air support capabilities, designed specifically to support airborne amphibious assaults.

Commissioned in 2014, USS America will begin her maiden deployment with the 15th MEU and staff of the
Commander, Amphibious Squadron 3 embarked.

For its last deployment, while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve; the15th MEU’s aviation combat element
flew 76 sorties and 500 combat flight hours that resulted in 36 strikes against Da’esh positions, equipment, and
personnel. In June, the USS Rushmore and embarked Marines rescued a group of Indonesian sailors from a
sinking vessel in the Sulawesi Strait.

The 15th MEU provides a forward deployed, flexible force capable of conducting amphibious operations, crisis
response and limited contingency operations in order to support the requirements of geographic combatant
commanders.

But what this represents the next phase of the evolution of the long-range assault force and its capabilities by
the USS America operating as the flagship for the 15th MEU.
The USS America has recently seen the coming of the F-35 to the ship along with the Osprey and will soon see
the CH-53K onboard, significantly increasing its lift capability into the area of interest.

Last month, we discussed this process with Col. Wellons, the CO of MAWTS-1.

Question: How does the integration of the F-35 into your operations, change how you think about those
operations?
Col. Wellons: A lot of that can be quickly classified but let me give you an example, which does not fall into that
category.

Historically, when we could come off of L class ship with Mv-22s, CH-53s, Cobras and Harriers and we then
faced a serious AAA or MANPADS threat we would avoid that objective area.

Now we do not need to do so.
It changes the entire concept of close air support.

Second Line of Defense

Page 47