Maritime Raid Force - 1,100 Mile Raid

The Maritime Raid Force (MRF) of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) conduct a long range simulated amphibious raid against a terrorist encampment. The MRF, consisting of the MEU's Force Reconnaissance Platoon, Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon and the Battalion Landing Team, launched the operation from the ships of the amphibious ready group (ARG), some 1,100 miles from the target compound located at Camp Fuji, Japan. The raid demonstrates the Maritime Raid Force's ability to carry our a direct action operation at long distance.

Amphibious Reconnaissance Marines went in first under the cover of darkness and set up hides around the target buildings from where to build the intelligence picture for the mission planners back at the ARG. The raid's security element - 3 squads from the Battalion Landing Team - subsequently inserted at the objective and took up blocking positions around it. Armed with heavy machine guns, the BLT squads ensured that no enemy could approach or exit the target. With the security in place, the Force Recon Platoon hit the objective, using their direct action skills to breech and assault the buildings. Within 30 minutes, the FRP had swept through and captured the objective.

The raid complete, the 3 elements of Amphibious Reconnaissance, Force Reconnaissance and BLT Marines moved to a nearby field where they were extracted by Ch-53E Super Stallion helicopters from the MEU's Air Combat Element.