More than 4,500 Sailors from 19 countries got underway to train across a range of simultaneous, and near simultaneous, crisis response missions during Exercise Bold Alligator, the largest, multinational, amphibious exercise conducted in a decade.
Rear Adm. Cindy Thebaud, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 2, leads the multinational, maritime force of 18 ships, including platforms from five countries.
Thebaud, said:
Today’s amphibious warfare operations are more than singular, large scale amphibious assaults.
To reinforce skill sets across the full range of military operations, this year’s Bold Alligator refocuses the Navy and Marine Corps team on crisis response. We are exercising in an environment where forces respond more rapidly and are capable of engaging multiple, dispersed objectives.
Attainment of said objectives requires coordination across military services, warfare areas, platforms and nations. Partnering with 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (2d MEB), ESG 2 leveraged various skills, experiences and capabilities offered by more than 8,000 Sailors and Marines to direct the planning and response of 23 exercise mission orders to date.
Capt. Kirk Weatherly, Expeditionary Strike Group 2’s operations officer, said:
The unique aspect of crisis response operations is the condensed planning timeline.
Immediate response requires immediate solutions and the use of on-hand personnel and equipment. Given our daily oversight of the East Coast amphibious force, ESG 2 is in a prime position to quickly match amphibious requirements and identify shortfalls for emergent tasking.
Bold Alligator 2014 hosts amphibious ships, destroyers and frigates, which are distributed across three ARGs. The ARGs are commanded by two U.S. Navy amphibious squadron commodores and a Dutch rear admiral. The command ships include USS Kearsarge (LHD3), USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), and HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801).
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Press release, Image: US Navy