NORFOLK, Va. — Sailors and Marines assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) returned home to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Sunday, according to a spokesperson for the U.S.M.C.
They completed a a seven-month deployment with the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) in the U.S. Naval Sixth Fleet area of operations.
The Kearsarge ARG is based in Norfolk.
The Kearsarge ARG is made up of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24), and the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44).
The U.S.M.C. said the deployment marked the first time an ARG/MEU maintained a six-month presence in the Baltic region in over 20 years.
“Our time in the Baltics and the High North was particularly valuable,” said Col. Paul C. Merida, commanding officer, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. “I think all of us in the 22nd MEU came away extremely impressed with the level of military professionalism that our friends in the region possess and the level of enthusiasm for real, integrated defense cooperation was profound wherever we visited. I believe future east coast MEUs will find the High North and the Baltics not only a challenging training environment but a region full of very capable friends and allies," Merida said.
More than 4,000 Marines and Sailors supported a wide range of exercises in 15 countries within U.S. Sixth Fleet, the spokesperson for the Marines said.
Most of the countries involved with exercises with the 22nd MEU face additional concerns regarding national defense as a result of Russia invading Ukraine.