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Sailors, Marines Train to Create a Lethal Joint Force

July 22, 2025 |DOD News

Sailors assigned to the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and Marines assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit recently completed a Composite Training Unit Exercise, successfully demonstrating their ability to jointly create a lethal, warfighting force.

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During the three-week exercise, sailors and Marines aboard the USS Iwo Jima, the USS San Antonio and the USS Fort Lauderdale demonstrated they were "capable of delivering decisive combat power in any environment at any time," said Navy Capt. Chris Farricker, commodore of Amphibious Squadron 8. "[Their] success shows that we are America's expeditionary quick-reaction force."


A sailor wearing a flight helmet checks parts on a helicopter under a blue sky.
A sailor wearing a flight helmet checks parts on a helicopter under a blue sky.
Preflight Checks
Navy Lt. Albert Femmer conducts preflight checks aboard the USS Bulkeley in the Atlantic Ocean, June 24, 2025. The ship's crew is participating in a Composite Training Unit Exercise with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, testing the group's ability to deliver combat power and providing leaders information for future decisions on warfighting strategy.
Download: Full Size (1.13 MB)
Credit: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Nye
VIRIN: 250624-N-LX270-1002P
Standing sailors and Marines hold hoses on the deck of a ship, with stationary helicopters in the background.
Standing sailors and Marines hold hoses on the deck of a ship, with stationary helicopters in the background.
Firefighter Training
Sailors and Marines train to fight fires on the flight deck of the USS Iwo Jima in the Atlantic Ocean, June 24, 2025. The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit are participating in a Composite Training Unit Exercise.
Download: Full Size (1.78 MB)
Credit: Navy Seaman Andrew Eggert
VIRIN: 250624-N-FN990-1033P
Two Marines, one preparing to ascend a ladder, work to secure a helicopter to the deck of a ship under a gray sky.
Two Marines, one preparing to ascend a ladder, work to secure a helicopter to the deck of a ship under a gray sky.
Helicopter Security
Marines assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit secure an AH-1Z Cobra helicopter during a Composite Training Unit Exercise aboard the USS San Antonio in the Atlantic Ocean, June 25, 2025. The training helps refine tactics, techniques and procedures for warfighting and enhances team operational readiness and lethality.
Download: Full Size (1.33 MB)
Credit: Marine Corps Cpl. Maurion Moore
VIRIN: 250626-M-HC655-3124P

The team planned and executed missions including maritime interdiction operations; visit, board, search and seizure; amphibious assaults; tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel; live-fire exercises; reconnaissance and surveillance and noncombat evacuations. Sailors aboard the destroyer USS Bulkeley also took part in the exercise, testing and validating their warfighting capabilities across areas such as maritime security, air defense and surface warfare.

"This exercise wasn't just about individual readiness — it was about building unbreakable bonds and a shared commitment to mission success. We stand ready to answer the nation's call, unified in purpose and unmatched in our combined might," Farricker said.

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A close-up of a Marine in tactical gear looking through the scope of a weapon.
A sailor in silhouette holds two signal wands with light at the tips, one straight ahead, as a helicopter takes off from the deck of a ship.
Marines in a small inflatable boat climb a ladder to board a larger ship on a sunny day as others look on from the deck.
Two ships cruise near each other in the ocean, with large cables connecting the ships; a helicopter flies overhead.
A sailor wearing ear protection fires a pistol from the deck of a ship, with the ocean, the sun and an orange sky in the background.
Two armored vehicles ride on the side of a ship near nets as another ship sails in the distance.
A Marine wearing head, hand and body protection welds a piece of metal, creating sparks.
A Marine wearing an orange construction helmet and face visor uses a chainsaw to cut into a tree in a wooded area.
Sailors and Marines operate an inflatable boat in the ocean under a blue sky.
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composite training unit exercise Training Navy Marine Corps

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