August 5, 2015, MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, North Carolina — Combat Logistics Regiment 25 will participate in the upcoming Maritime Preposition Forces Exercise at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Jacksonville, Florida, Aug. 10-21, 2015.
The exercise is one of the largest ship-to-land offloading exercises since Operation Desert Storm.
“We are doing this exercise to get back to our Marine amphibious roots,” said 1st Lt. Philip Blais, a future operations officer with Combat Logistics Regiment 25, who is one of the key planners of the upcoming MPFEX. “Marines are about readiness. We plan to execute our mission with speed and precision as if it were the real deal.”
Throughout the operation, the unit will unload equipment and supplies capable of supporting a Marine Expeditionary Unit. Then the Marines will transport the equipment to a forward operating position, simulating a real-world scenario.
“This is my first MPFEX, and I’m excited for it,” said Pfc. Matthew Weber, an engineer equipment operator with CLR-25. “I’ll be expected to keep track of gear movement. It should be a good learning experience.”
A total of 364 Marines and sailors with CLR-25 will participate in the exercise, making it the largest MPFEX ever. The unit has been planning the operation since February, and CLR-25 is confident it will aid in their unit readiness and build unit cohesion.
“We are down there to improve what we can do, this is our job and I know that our Marines are confident and ready to perform,” said Blais.