VIRGINIA BEACH -- The Navy and Marines are storming the beaches at Fort Story.
The exercise is called Bold Alligator 2012, the East Coast's largest joint and multinational amphibious assault exercise in the past ten years. US units involved are the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, Expeditionary Strike Group 2, 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Naval Expeditionary Combat Command and other ships and units. Forces from eight other countries are taking part.
The Navy says it's meant to revitalize Navy and Marine Corps amphibious expeditionary tactics, techniques and procedures, and reinvigorate its culture of conducting combined Navy and Marine Corps operations from the sea.
The exercise begins Monday and ends Feb. 12, and will take place ashore and off the coasts of Virginia, North Carolina and Florida
"In today's world, the Navy-Marine Corps team must remain capable of gaining access to an operational area, and projecting and sustaining a sizable landing force ashore," said Lt. General Dennis Hejlik, Commander, MARFORCOM.
The exercise ends with three large-scale events: an amphibious assault at Camp Lejeune, N.C.; an aerial assault from the sea into Fort Pickett and an amphibious raid on Fort Story.
