The Sailors and Marines of Commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 3 and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (15th MEU) returned to San Diego March 10, following a twelve day at-sea PHIBRON-MEU Integrated Training (PMINT) off the coast of Southern California.
During the nearly two-week underway period, the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), the command ship for PHIBRON 3 and the 15th MEU, operated with the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) and the Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) for the first of a three-phase certification process to test the ARG’s mission readiness.
Amphibious squadrons and MEUs complete PMINT during their pre-deployment work-up cycle, and the overall focus is to facilitate integration of the Navy and Marine Corps Blue-Green Team through staff planning exercises and an amphibious landing exercise.
Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 15, the Navy’s integrated training command on the West Coast, is responsible for conducting certification training with U.S. 3rd Fleet CSGs, expeditionary strike groups (ESGs) and amphibious ready groups (ARGs).
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Image: US Navy