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Article: I MEF fires in OIF.(I Marine Expeditionary Force; Operation Iraqi Freedom)
- Article from:
- FA Journal
- Article date:
- March 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 U.S. Field Artillery Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) deployed to Kuwait incrementally through a series of orders for what eventually became Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The command element (CE) deployed in November 2003. Major subordinate commands (MSCs) and detachments flowed into theater during the following months and, ultimately, fleshed I MEF out to more than 80,000 personnel by May of 2003.
I MEF (or any MEF) is the largest echelon Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF). By definition, it is task-organized for a specific purpose but normally will include an aviation combat element (ACE) built around a Marine air wing (MAW), one or more ground combat elements (GCEs) up ...