Community News
31st Marine Expeditionary Unit Maritime Raid Force begins training exercise in Hawaii
Military Health System Communications Office January 16, 2020
HONOLULU – The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is conducting a series of training events both on and off base in Oahu, Hawaii, January 6-31, 2020.
The training will involve more than 100 Marines including the 31st MEU’s Maritime Raid Force made up of Force Reconnaissance Marines, and will include simulated visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) maritime interdiction operations at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Schofield Barracks, and the Ewa Beach training area followed by a series of simulated direct action limited-scale raids at Dogs of War Airsoft Park, Wet’n’Wild Water Park, and Aloha Stadium.
We strive to keep the impact of operations on the local community to a minimum while still being able to meet our training objectives. Local citizens may see and hear operations during the training exercise including helicopter flights and gunfire. Limited live-fire events will be taking place during the training exercise, coordinated with the Government of Hawaii including the Honolulu Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation field office Honolulu, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service. These exercises are vital to maintaining the skills of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in ensuring readiness as a crisis-response force.
The point of contact for further questions or inquiries is Marine Corps Communication Strategy and Operations Officer Captain George McArthur at george.mcarthur@usmc.mil.
Photo Caption:
A Force Reconnaissance Marine with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Maritime Raid Force provides rear security during Visit, Board, Search and Seizure training in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Jan. 10, 2020. During VBSS training, the Marines hone their ship boarding and seizure capabilities to better perform maritime interdiction operations. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premier crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region.