Marines and Sailors of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) come ashore from the ships of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group at Onslow Beach, Camp Lejeune, N.C., Feb. 16, 2013. The 26th MEU is conducting its Composite Training Unit Exercise, the final phase of a six-month pre-deployment training program.

The 26th MEU operates continuously across the globe, providing the President and unified combatant commanders with a forward-deployed, sea-based quick reaction force. The MEU is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force capable of conducting amphibious operations, crisis response and limited contingency operations.