A small group of Marines trudged onto the beach sands in pitch-black night with an armada of U.S. Navy warships sailing just off the shore. Their mission: root out insurgents that threatened to attack another American force to the south.
The careful operation under cover of darkness wasn't an assault in the Middle East or Asia. It was a training exercise on the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, designed to return thousands of Marines to their amphibious roots and train for a more modern version of the well-known beach assaults conducted during World War II.
Military officials say the operation being conducted in Virginia and North Carolina is the largest amphibious training exercise they've attempted in at least a decade. Marines have been fighting wars in landlocked countries like Iraq and Afghanistan for years, and many have never even set foot on a Navy ship. That's of particular concern as the military shifts its strategic focus toward the coastal regions of the Middle East, such as Iran, and the Pacific, where North Korea and China are drawing increasing attention from the U.S.
Uh, just a note for Vergakis and Felderbaum (the journalists credited in the byline): Iraq is not landlocked...
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By: Brant
I would say the roots of the Marine Corps are in "Small Wars", not large-scale amphibious invasions. I think there have been fewer than 20 large scale (more than a brigade) opposed landings in the entire illustrious history of the Marine Corps, ending with Inchon - 62 years ago.
ReplyDeleteGranted, there have been dozens and dozens of small (BLT-size) opposed landings, but these were usually the precursor to moving inland and fighting yet another Small War.