Commandant Gen. Jim Amos touched on many topics during a breakfast with media in Washington on Wednesday, yielding headlines that include an update on the state of affairs in Afghanistan and an acknowledgment that the service will likely draw down to 174,000 Marines if drastic federally mandated budget cuts stay in place. Not to be overlooked, however, is the commandant’s characterization of his new unit, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response. The 550-strong force deployed in April, providing Gen. David Rodriguez, commander of U.S. Africa Command, a designated unit equipped to response to emergencies that erupt in volatile…
Browsing: Ospreys
One week after the deployment of the Marine Corps’ new crisis-response force for Africa began, additional details about it are starting to surface. The six MV-22B Ospreys supporting the unit are from Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365, out of Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., according to a Marine Corps news release published today. Elements of the unit, commanded by Lt. Col. Christian Harshberger, arrived at Morón Air Base, Spain, on Saturday after making a 15-hours transcontinental flight from the U.S. They arrived with two KC-130J tanker planes that will support the unit during the deployment. Commandant Gen. Jim Amos…
