26th MEU enhances urban warfare capabilities in New Orleans

[SR-25]

Submitted by: 26th MEU
Story Identification #: 2004126201417
Story by Sgt. Roman Yurek



NEW ORLEANS (Dec. 6, 2004) -- The Marines and sailors of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit may not have sailed down the Mississippi River to battle the British at New Orleans like the Continental Marines of 1778, but they made their presence known in the Crescent City Dec. 4 as troops and aircraft arrived for the unit's Training in an Urban Environment Exercise.

During TRUEX, the 26th MEU will hone its war fighting skills in a realistic and unfamiliar urban environment during several situational training exercises throughout New Orleans.

The MEU commander Col. Thomas F. Qualls stressed that this exercise is an
essential portion of the MEU's pre-deployment training program. It provides the MEU
the opportunity to fully integrate and evaluate its complex capabilities that are required for urban warfare.

"This is the one particular exercise that we hope to bring everything together that focuses primarily on the Maritime Special Purpose Force and their ability to do surgical-type operations," said Qualls, "much like those we would expect to encounter in the Iraqi and Central Command areas of operation."

The elements of the MEU that are participating in the training are the Command Element, Forward Command Element, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-162, MEU Service Support Group-26 and the Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF).

The MSPF is a force that provides precision action when circumstances preclude an all-out assault by more conventional infantry methods.

The Marines are operating from Joint Reserve Base New Orleans in Belle Chase. New Orleans was chosen because it has a large, dynamic infrastructure and numerous commercial and industrial areas.

Planning for this exercise began nearly a year ago.

Local, state and federal agencies put in a lot of work to allow the 26th MEU to conduct this training, explained Qualls. They are also continuing to support the MEU until TRUEX is complete.

"In exercises like this, the lessons learned, and the friction points that come up, are indispensable in preparing us for our combat success in the future," Qualls added.
The New Orleans TRUEX is not the last training evolution for the 26th MEU. Following this training, the MEU will conduct two more large-scale amphibious exercises as part of USS Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group.

To follow the 26th MEU through the rest of its pre-deployment training visit www.26meu.usmc.mil.


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