effort there as well as deploying to Kuwait beginning in 2002 and taking part in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The three Marine Expeditionary Forces are: I Marine Expeditionary Force located at Camp Pendleton, California II Marine Expeditionary Force located at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina III Marine Expeditionary Force located at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) A Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) is larger than a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) but smaller than a MEF. The MEB, which varies in size, is capable of conducting missions across the full range of military operations and to support and sustain itself for up to 30 days in an austere expeditionary environment. It is constructed around a reinforced infantry regiment designated as a regimental combat team (RCT), a composite Marine aircraft group, and a combat logistics regiment (CLR), formerly known as a brigade service support group, all commanded by a battalion-sized command element designated as a MEB headquarters group. The MEB, commanded by a general officer (either a Major General or a Brigadier General), is task-organized to meet the requirements of a specific situation. It can function as part of a joint task force, as the lead echelon of the MEF, or alone. 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism) 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) The smallest type of MAGTF is the Marine expeditionary unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC), designated as an MEU (SOC), commanded by a colonel. The MEU is capable of conducting limited, specialized, and selected special operations missions and to support and sustain itself for up to 15 days in an austere expeditionary environment. The MEU is based on a reinforced Marine infantry battalion, designated as a battalion landing team (BLT), supported by a medium tiltrotor squadron (VMM) (reinforced), containing both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft and aviation support detachments, and a combat logistics battalion (CLB), all commanded by a company-sized MEU headquarters group. There are usually three MEUs assigned to each of the U.S. Navy Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, with another MEU based on Okinawa. While one MEU is on deployment, one MEU is training to deploy and one is standing down, resting its marines, and refitting. Each MEU is rated as capable of performing special operations, though USMC's definition of this is not consistent with that of SOCOM. They