Marines, sailors set to conduct training in Farmville and Creeds, Va.

OFF THE WIRE
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Marines and sailors of the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit will conduct training near the towns of Farmville and Creeds, Va., in the coming days to help them prepare for their pending deployment later this spring.

The Marines will primarily operate out of Fort Pickett, Va., from Jan. 12 to Jan. 20, with training planned off base in select locations in Farmville and Creeds as part of their Realistic Urban Training Exercise, or RUT, which allows the Marines to train in completely new areas that are unique from the standard training facilities they use on bases.

There is one small-scale event planned in Creeds taking place at a Virginia Beach Police training facility. In Farmville, there are three off-base events planned, only one of which should be noticeable to citizens on the western outskirts of Farmville. The Marines will notify residents in the immediate area of the training sites by conducting house-to-house canvassing to ensure locals are notified prior to each event.

Much of the training will center on what the Marines call situational training exercises. The MEU will be issued a series of mock orders, designed to replicate the types of missions they're likely to face during their deployment, then plan the missions in detail and execute them in pre-designated locations that have already been coordinated with community officials and law enforcement.

Residents of Farmville and Creeds, and surrounding communities, may see Marines and role players periodically throughout the exercise, and are likely to notice more military aircraft and ground vehicles than usual operating in the area.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for us," said Col. Frank Donovan, Commanding Officer, 24th MEU. "The people and community leaders of the Farmville, Creeds and Fort Pickett areas have been incredibly supportive, and we are truly thankful for the opportunity to not only train in unfamiliar and challenging terrain, but to also interact with fellow Americans who may have limited exposure to Marines."

Residents in the Farmville and greater Richmond area will have this chance to interact with Marines at a community outreach event scheduled for Jan. 14, at the Farmville Airfield where the Marines are planning a static display of aircraft, vehicles and equipment that will be open to the public. Further details will be released later this week for this event.

The 24th MEU is slated to be the landing force for the Norfolk-based Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, which consists of the amphibious assault ships USS Iwo Jima, USS New York and USS Gunston Hall.

Since 1985, the three Camp Lejeune-based MEUs have used numerous cities throughout the United States to simulate the kinds of hotspots to which MEUs are often called in a crisis as realistically as possible. In October of 2009, the 24th MEU conducted RUT in Indiana and Kentucky.

The 24th MEU is composed of its command element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 (Reinforced), and Combat Logistics Battalion 24.

The Marines kicked off their predeployment training program on back in September with a series of at-sea periods with their Navy counterparts and numerous land-based exercises. RUT is the second-to-last exercise before the 24th MEU completes their last at-sea training evolution scheduled for February.

The 24th MEU is scheduled to deploy this spring to the European and Central Command theaters of operations.

If locals have concerns about the training or questions about the noise of the aircraft, the following numbers are provided as local hotlines:
Farmville - 434-878-0124
Creeds - 757-453-5932

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