Marines from Camp Pendleton's 5th Marine Regiment will head up the Marine Corps' newest Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response Central Command in the Middle East.
Command spokesman Lt. Col. Joseph Kloppel told the Marine Corps Times the unit was to be based in Kuwait, as was reported by Home Post on Tuesday.
However, Kloppel clarified to the Marine Corps Times on Wednesday the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response Central Command would operate from "several different locations" in the Middle East, but declined to name those countries.
The 5th Marine Regiment will serve as the command's headquarters element. Other units in the task force include:
■ 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
■ Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363, Miramar, Calif.
■ Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas
These units give the military the capability to immediately react to an international crisis that puts American personnel in harm's way...
...including conducting non-combatant evacuation, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and support to U.S. embassies, and other operations, missions and activities as directed by national and command leadership.
According to the Marine Corps Times, the new crisis response unit reaches initial operating capability on Oct. 1.
