OKINAWA, Japan – Noble Fury 21, a joint training exercise involving Marines and Sailors from III Marine Expeditionary Force and 7th Fleet is taking place Oct. 6 to Oct. 15, 2020 on Okinawa and other Japanese islands, including Iwo To.
Noble Fury is part of ongoing joint III MEF-7th Fleet integrated training. The exercise improves both commands’ ability to work together in simultaneous, distributed events.
“The Commandant’s Planning Guidance envisions a Marine Corps that can support the U.S. Navy by defending and denying key maritime terrain and supporting sea control,” said Lt. Gen. H. Stacy Clardy, III MEF commanding general. “Noble Fury improves the MEF’s ability to establish expeditionary fires bases and forward arming and refueling points throughout the Indo-Pacific at any time and place, further enabling the Navy and the larger joint force in times of conflict.”
The joint exercise will involve participation from 3d Marine Division, 3d Marine Logistics Group, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III MEF Information Group, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, and assets from 7th Fleet, including USS America (LHA 6) Expeditionary Strike Group (AMAESG), and assets from the Air Force’s 18th Wing.
“These exercises provide opportunities for high-end dynamic training, allowing our naval and joint forces to exercise their skills in the littorals as an integrated force. Noble Fury gives our Marines and Sailors the opportunity to sharpen their skills while practicing missions specifically designed for the Indo-Pacific,” said Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, Vice Adm. Bill Merz.
“While we work together with our Marine counterparts on a daily basis, this exercise capitalizes on our close relationship to further advance our combined capability. Noble Fury is complex, and required detailed planning across both Blue and Green staffs in support of the two-week exercise,” Merz said.
Primary events will include a command post exercise and field training events that enhance III MEF and 7th Fleet’s ability to conduct distributed operations throughout the region.
“Throughout Noble Fury we will exercise distributed command and control operations, joint fires integration, and expeditionary warfighting concepts that ensure III MEF remains the ‘fight now’ force in the Indo-Pacific,” said Clardy. “We must be ready to rapidly deploy in support of—and stand with—our allies and partners throughout the region.”
The AMA ESG is comprised of amphibious assault ship USS America, dock landing ships USS Germantown (LSD 42) and USS New Orleans (LPD 18), embarked Marines and Sailors from the 31st MEU, Sailors and helicopters from the Archangels of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Twenty-Five, embarked Sailors form Tactical Air Control Squadron Two One, Fleet Surgical Team Seven, and embarked staff members of Amphibious Squadron Eleven and Expeditionary Strike Group Seven.
For more information on Noble Fury 21, please visit the Noble Fury DVIDS feature page, https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/NobleFury, or email III Marine Expeditionary Force Communication Strategy and Operations at iiimefmedia@usmc.mil.