US Navy's Sailors and Marine Teams Complete Force Protection Exercise

The US Navy's Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) 11 executed a two-day anti-terrorism/force protection (AT/FP) training exercise at San Diego Naval Base on 25–26 June 2009.

The ARG sailors and marines were trained to detect and defend sporadic notional threats on and around base piers on board the three amphibious vessels, USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), USS Cleveland (LPD 7) and USS Rushmore (LSD 47).

Before the routine deployment, the ARG/MEU team is scheduled to start a series of major at-sea training exercises in which they execute a range of operations including security cooperation, theatre engagement and freedom and peacekeeping missions.