USFF Hosts Bold Alligator 2012 Main Planning Conference
Via Expeditionary Strike Group 2 PAO: USFF Hosts Bold Alligator 2012 Main Planning Conference
The Atlantic Fleet’s largest amphibious exercise in the last 10 years continued taking shape this past week as Commander, United States Fleet Forces hosted the first of two Main Planning Conferences for Exercise Bold Alligator 2012, scheduled to take place next January and February.
Bold Alligator 2012 represents the Navy and Marine Corps’ revitalization of the fundamentals of amphibious operations, strengthening their traditional role as fighters from the sea.
The focus of this event is based on the common goal of Navy and Marine Corps leadership to revitalize, refine and strengthen core amphibious competencies, which are critical to maritime power projection and are a cost effective option for a wide range of military operations.
The capabilities that allow the amphibious force to conduct a forced entry landing against an opposing military force are the same capabilities that make it the force of choice for crisis response and building partnerships.
“As recent world events show, amphibious forces are a critical part of a wide range of military operations,” said Rear Adm. Kevin Scott, commander, ESG-2. “We need to always be ready to successfully conduct prompt and sustained amphibious expeditionary operations from the sea in support of the nation’s Maritime Strategy.”
More than 330 Navy and Marine Corps personnel from more than 50 ships and commands met at Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Atlantic (EWTGLANT) on the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story here, to incorporate recent guidance from senior leaders and continue the planning process for this large scale amphibious exercise. The primary training audiences for the exercise are Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (2d MEB) and the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group.
Bold Alligator 12 will be a large-scale multinational naval amphibious exercise conducted by United States Fleet Forces (USFF) and Marine Forces Command (MFC) that will focus upon the planning and execution of a brigade-sized amphibious assault from a seabase in a medium threat environment. The underlying scenario of this exercise is designed to emphasize the Navy/Marine Corps capabilities in undeveloped and immature theaters of operations.
Expected to participate in the exercise are: an Amphibious Task Force (led by ESG-2) consisting of 10 amphibious ships and four to six combatants; a Marine Expeditionary Brigade-sized Landing Force (2d MEB); a Carrier Strike Group (aircraft carrier, embarked air wing and four combatant ships); Mine Counter Measure forces, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command forces, Military Sealift Command ships; coalition force elements from several allies, and other commands in the support of amphibious operations.
