31st Marine Expeditionary Unit Patch

Formations & Origins
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit—known to those who serve simply as “the 31st MEU”—was officially established in 1967 during the height of the Vietnam War, but its operational legacy stretches beyond that, built on the bones of the old 31st Marine Amphibious Unit. The concept of the MEU itself was born out of the need for a flexible, sea-based force that could be forward-deployed and respond rapidly to crises anywhere in the Pacific. The 31st MEU was designed to be that force—a “floating battalion” of Marines who could fight, rescue, stabilize, or evacuate with equal precision.

Originally based out of Okinawa, Japan, the 31st MEU remains the only continuously forward-deployed MEU in the U.S. Marine Corps. Its permanent presence in the Indo-Pacific Theater gives it a strategic reach unmatched by any other conventional force. The unit's motto is clear and uncompromising: “Ready to Fight Tonight.” And they are. Every day. Every port. Every mission.

Notable Commanders
The 31st MEU has seen its share of Marine Corps heavy hitters—colonels and generals who earned their stars through operational savvy and amphibious excellence. These commanders aren’t desk-bound officers—they’re warfighters with saltwater in their veins, shaped by joint exercises with regional partners, humanitarian missions in disaster zones, and combat deployments from Iraq to the South China Sea.

One notable commander was Colonel John E. Greenwood, who led during critical restructuring phases in the 1980s, helping to integrate air, ground, and logistics components into a seamless fighting force. More recently, leaders like Colonel Robert Brodie and Colonel Douglas Krugman brought the unit through high-stakes exercises with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and responses to real-world crises like Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

But in truth, the 31st MEU doesn’t make legends out of individuals. It makes legends out of teams. Commanders here don’t lead from behind—they ride in helicopters, land in Ospreys, and hit the sand first with their Marines.

Major Campaigns/Operations
Since its inception, the 31st MEU has been the Pacific’s rapid response sledgehammer and velvet glove. Its first major operations were off the coast of Vietnam, where it supported amphibious landings, raids, and show-of-force deployments. But it was after Vietnam that the unit truly came into its own.

In the 1990s, the 31st MEU responded to the Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines, conducting massive humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Later that decade, it played a key role in Operation Stabilise in East Timor, delivering peacekeeping forces and coordinating security during a volatile transition to independence.

After 9/11, the unit expanded its combat operations footprint. The 31st MEU deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and conducted operations in Afghanistan. It also took part in anti-piracy missions and counter-terrorism operations across the Asia-Pacific, working with partners in Indonesia, Thailand, and beyond.

Perhaps most famously in the 21st century, the unit led the U.S. military response to Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. With entire cities leveled and millions displaced, the 31st MEU launched into action—bringing fresh water, food, security, and hope to the Philippines within hours of arrival.

Specialized Role/Equipment
The 31st MEU is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), which means it brings everything to the table: infantry, airpower, armor, logistics, and command—all in one deployable, integrated package. What sets the MEU apart from other Marine units is its amphibious nature and rapid-deployment capability. It operates from amphibious assault ships—typically an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG)—giving it a floating base of operations anywhere in the Indo-Pacific region.

Its backbone is the Battalion Landing Team, usually an infantry battalion reinforced with tanks, artillery, engineers, and reconnaissance. For air support, the unit includes a composite aviation squadron flying MV-22B Ospreys, AH-1Z Vipers, UH-1Y Venoms, and AV-8B Harriers or F-35B Lightning IIs. Rounding it out is the Combat Logistics Battalion, responsible for everything from vehicle repair to water purification to field surgery.

The MEU’s standard loadout allows it to perform missions across the full spectrum—amphibious assaults, embassy evacuations, humanitarian aid, non-combatant evacuations, reconnaissance, and direct action raids. Its teams train relentlessly for crisis response, with new Marines rotating in every six months and undergoing some of the most grueling certification exercises in the Corps.

Acts of Heroism
You won’t hear a lot about Medal of Honor recipients from the 31st MEU, not because they haven’t fought valiantly, but because their battles often unfold in the margins—flood zones, island jungles, contested reefs, or darkened embassies. Their heroism comes in different shades: a Lance Corporal pulling children from a collapsed school in Leyte; a squad leader organizing evacuees under sniper threat in Southeast Asia; an Osprey crew flying nonstop missions in monsoon weather to deliver food and evacuate the wounded.

In one operation in Mindanao, Marines from the 31st MEU coordinated with Filipino Special Forces to locate and extract civilians caught between government forces and Islamic insurgents. Despite being ambushed en route, the MEU fireteam maintained security and completed the extraction without a single loss of life.

During the tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia, Marines built entire refugee camps from scratch in under 72 hours. One sergeant, after offloading supplies for 36 hours straight with no sleep, continued working until he collapsed from exhaustion. His actions—and those of his team—kept thousands alive during the critical first days of recovery.

These aren’t acts that make headlines—but they save lives and win allies.

Legacy & Notable Achievements
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit has built its reputation not on fame but on reliability. It’s the 911 force in the Pacific. When things fall apart, the 31st MEU is the first to get the call and the first to arrive. Its mere presence off a coast is often enough to calm tensions. When that doesn’t work, it has the firepower and tactical flexibility to end the fight before it begins.

Today, in an era of growing geopolitical tension across the Pacific Rim, the 31st MEU continues to serve on the edge—part warfighter, part peacemaker, always in motion, always first in. It is the embodiment of expeditionary warfare in the 21st century.