CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (KGTV) - Marines and sailors preparing to deploy this summer have completed their final and most complex pre-deployment training mission.
The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit is made up of about 2,400 marines and sailors, ready to respond to any crisis from humanitarian to combat situations.
After months of pre-deployment training along the coast, their final mission was a ship-to-shore raid on combat town Red Beach in Camp Pendleton.
Another team of marines simulated enemy forces, building their defense days in advance emplacing IEDs and machine gun positions.
"The Marine Corps, we like to say we are the first in and we are the first out , so what you'll be seeing today is the Marine Corps coming in to a threat environment, to a contested beach," said Capt. Diann Rosenfeld, Communications, Strategy and Operations Officer for 13th MEU. "We're establishing ourselves on that beach, securing that beach so we can flow logistics forward and be postured to move forward inland."
Military leaders say they make the training as realistic as possible.
"This is the most complex thing we do," said Major James Lindler. "Because not only are we involving numerous marines, numerous aircraft, but we're also involving three ships. We've got the weather playing a factor."
Once the 13th MUE secured the beach, they offloaded more than 15 light armored reconnaissance vehicles and more than 70 Humvee's.
"When everything works together, which is what we're training here for, it's amazing what we bring together as part of that Navy, Marine Corps team," said Major Lindler.
Training continued into the night as marines continued their fight into the mountains of Camp Pendleton.
The 13th MUE will deploy this summer.
