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BATARG/26 MEU conducts bilateral training with Jordan

30 Jan 2020 | Petty Officer 1st Class Kathryn Macdonald 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade

The Sailors and Marines of Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) spent 10 days building relationships and training alongside Jordanian partners in the Aqaba area.
The Marine Expeditionary Unit's Maritime Raid Force (MRF) conducted bilateral training with members of the Royal Jordanian Navy, including visit, board, search, and seizure and diving exercises.
"Having the opportunity to conduct bilateral training with our partner nation of Jordan not only strengthens our commitment on the strategic level,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Cory Moyer, officer in charge of the 26th MEU MRF, “but it also gives the Marines the experience of interacting on a personal level."
During stops pierside in Aqaba, leaders from the MEU and amphibious ready group (ARG) ships USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS New York (LPD 21) and USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) visited with local Jordanian military officials, including Head of the Royal Jordanian Navy Col. Omar Al-Bahkeet, and organized important relationship-building activities, including a series of soccer games.
“The Marines and Sailors of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit thank our Jordanian partners for the opportunity to train together in order to enhance our partnership,” said Col. Trevor Hall, 26th MEU commanding officer. “Spending time training together was just as important as the personal relationships we were able to develop. These bilateral engagements help build mutual trust and respect as we work together to support maritime security operations and preserve freedom of navigation and stability in the region.”
Navy chaplains from the MEU and Bataan also met with local religious leaders, and medical personnel from Bataan toured a nearby Jordanian navy medical facility.
“The Sailors and Marines of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit were able to train alongside our Jordanian partners and continue building crucial interoperability between our forces,” said Capt. Lance Lesher, commodore of the ARG. “Just as important, we were able to spend time together as people, playing sports and building personal relationships. These types of engagements enhance trust, cooperation and mutual respect. We are a unified international team with shared goals and a longstanding tradition of working together toward a secure, stable region.”
In addition to the flagship amphibious assault ship Bataan, the amphibious transport dock New York and dock landing ship Oak Hill, the ARG includes elements of Naval Beach Group 2, Tactical Air Control Squadron 22, Fleet Surgical Team 4 and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28.
The Bataan ARG and 26th MEU are operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, which encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse includes 20 nations and three critical choke points for global commerce, at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.
The 26th MEU is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force comprised of approximately 2,500 Marines and Sailors supported by three major subordinate elements with the ability to provide agility in a dynamic security environment.
Those subordinate elements include the Ground Combat Element, the Aviation Combat Element and the Logistics Support Element.
The Bataan ARG and 26th MEU are operating in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region.


5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade