24th Marine Expeditionary Unit

Hometown: Camp Lejeune, NC, US

U.S. Marines get promoted while deployed at sea

10.06.2012 | USAFRICOM, AT SEA
Story by Capt. Robert Shuford

U.S. NAVY’S 5th FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY – On the first of each month the U.S. Marine Corps authorizes a certain number of promotions for different ranks and job fields. For Marines deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit being deployed at sea doesn’t keep them from moving up to the next rank. On Oct. 1, 2012, a number of promotions took place aboard the three ships of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group – USS Iwo Jima, USS New York and USS Gunston Hall – the ships that the 2,300 Marines of 24th MEU are embarked on. The 24th MEU and Iwo Jima ARG are currently deployed to U.S. Central Command in the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet area of responsibility where they are serving as a theater reserve and crisis response force capable of supporting a variety of missions from combat to humanitarian assistance. Since deploying in March, 24th MEU has participated in a number of theater security cooperation events and training exercises, which included African Lion 12 in Morocco, the largest training exercise in U.S. Africa Command, and Eager Lion 12 in Jordan, the largest exercise in CENTCOM.