Marines from Camp Pendleton-based 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Combat Logistics Regiment 1 and the 1st Marine Division Band have landed in San Francisco for Fleet Week 2012, Oct 3-8.
More than 2,500 Marines and sailors aboard the USS Makin Island are participating in the 31st annual Fleet Week. As the Marine Corps makes a pivot to the Pacific after a decade of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the six-day event is an opportunity to showcase the humanitarian disaster relief capabilities of the Marine Corps and Navy in the San Francisco Bay Area.
This is much more than just an air show. Fleet Week continues the dialogue between military and civilian disaster agencies in discussing military readiness for the “big one.” Events will include a multi-agency medical exchange exercise with Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), urban search and rescue training, senior leader seminar with focused discussions on disaster response and peer-to-peer medical exchanges and education workshops with military and civilians.
Marines of the 13th MEU will showcase weapons displays and tactical vehicles aboard the USS Hornet. Meanwhile, Marines of CLR-1 will showcase humanitarian and medical capabilities at Marina Green with the Shock Trauma Platoon and military vehicles.
Events will also include softball competitions, Marine working dog demonstrations at Pier 80, ship tours, fitness challenges, professional baseball and football games honoring service members and community relations projects at San Francisco Zoo, Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate National Parks, and performances by the 1st Marine Division band across the city.
Join more than one million expected to attend events throughout San Francisco Fleet Week.
Media interested in interviewing hometown Marines or stories on Marine events during fleet week may contact 1st Lt Garth Langley at 650.787.5972 or garthlangley7@yahoo.com.