Commands and Base History

HISTORY

The Camp Lejeune story began 64 years ago. World War II had started and military planners were posturing forces for America’s eminent entry to the fight. The need for an east coast amphibious training facility was answered as the War Department purchased an initial 11,000- acre tract of land. With close proximity to ports at Wilmington and Morehead City, Lejeune was a logistical gem. When planners dded the remote pine forests and miles of beach the value of Camp Lejeune as a home training base for Marines was unbeatable.

Near the end of 1942, the base was named Camp Lejeune in honor of the 13th Commandant and Commanding General of the 2d Army Division in World War I, Major General John A. Lejeune. I, Major General John A. Lejeune.

The value of this land to the Marine Corps has grown over the years as men and women have trained to fight wars in Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Iraq and have deployed for such actions as peacekeeping in Lebanon and a host of noncombatant evacuation operations. The idea of Special Operations Capable Marine Expeditionary Units was born at Camp Lejeune, and Marines here continue to make strides toward the future of warfare in such areas as urban and riverine operations.

Today, Camp Lejeune boasts 11 miles of beach capable of supporting amphibious operations. There are 78 live-fire ranges, 98 maneuver areas, 34 gun positions, 50 tactical landing zones and a state of the art Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training facility. Military forces from around the world come to Camp Lejeune on a regular basis for bilateral and NATO-sponsored exercises. The base is home to an active-duty, dependent, retiree and civilian employee population of nearly 150,000 people.

COMMANDS

Marine Corps Base
Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, as an element of the Marine Forces Atlantic supporting establishment, provides the operating forces and Camp Lejeune community support and services that enhance operational readiness and the quality of life. Marine Corps Base provides housing, training and facilities. During exercises, Marine Corps Base provides active and reserve warfighting commands with support such as logistics, transportation, and coordination for deployments.

II Marine Expeditionary Force
The II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF), one of three MEFs in the Marine Corps, is a combined arms force consisting of ground, air and logistics forces. It possesses the capability for projecting offensive combat power ashore while sustaining itself in combat without external assistance for a period of 60 days. With a strength in excess of 47,000 Marines and Sailors, II MEF is representative of the largest and most powerful Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). aboard Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS). The MPS program involves the forward deployment of the MPS Squadron of four of five ships loaded with a brigade’s worth of combat equipment and supplies and the airlifting of the MEF (Forward) to the designated objective area to link up with the MPS Squadron at the same time, tactical aircraft of the MEF (Forward) are flight ferried to an airfield in or near the area of operation. The MEF (Forward) can be sustained for 60 days with supplies aboard the ships.

2d Marine Division
The 2d Marine Division is the ground combat element of II MEF. Its backbone is the individual Marine infantryman whose basic mission is to locate, close with and destroy or capture the enemy. The Division is comprised of more than 15,000 enlisted Marines and Sailors and 1,000 officers who form the 2d, 6th and 8th Marine Regiments (infantry), 10th Marine Regiment (artillery), 2d Tank Battalion, 2d Reconnaissance Battalion, 2d Combat Engineer Battalion, Headquarters Battalion, 2d Assault Amphibian Battalion and 2d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.

2nd Marine Logistics Group
The 2nd Marine Logistics Group is the combat service support element of II MEF. 2nd Marine Logistics Group provides the major sources of heavy combat service support for the 2d Marine Division, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, and the command element of II MEF. The support provided by 2nd Marine Logistics Group is essential for successful combat operations and includes the functions of supply, maintenance, transportation, engineering, landing support, health services and other special services.

Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune
Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune, provides the very best health services to more than 90,000 military beneficiaries in support of operational forces based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Since it opened in May 1943, Naval Hospital has provided general clinical and hospitalization services for active-duty and retired Navy and Marine Corps personnel, their families, and their survivors. Naval Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Health Care Organization.

Marine Corps Installations East
Marine Corps Installations East (MCIEAST) implements policies, develops regional strategies and plans, prioritizes resources and provides services, direction, and oversight through assigned U.S. Marine Corps Installations in order to support the Operating Forces, tenant commands and activities.

Marine Corps Installations East (MCIEAST) will provide the Operating Forces and tenant commands with the highest quality of continuous, effective service and support to meet present and anticipate future joint and expeditionary warfare requirements.

Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC)
Established February 24, 2006, the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) is the Marine Corps component of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). It is headquartered at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and will include approximately 2,500 Marines, sailors and civilian employees.

MARSOC performs the Title 10 functions of manning, organizing, training and equipping Marine Special Operations Forces to accomplish its mission. The MARSOC headquarters is responsible for identifying Marine Special Operations-unique requirements; development of MARSOF tactics, techniques, procedures and doctrine; and execution of assigned missions in accordance with designated conditions and standards.

A Marine Corps Major General commands MARSOC with a supporting staff designed to be compatible in all functional areas with both USSOCOM and Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC). Although the MARSOC HQ is a non-deployable unit, the MARSOC commander and members of his staff may “battle roster” as needed to deploy in support of USSOCOM tasks to form, deploy and employ a Joint Special Operations Task Force.

MARSOC includes five subordinate units: The Foreign Military Training Unit, two Marine Special Operations Battalions (1st MSOB at Camp Pendleton, CA and 2d MSOB at Camp Lejeune, NC), the Marine Special Operations Support Group and the Marine Special Operations School.