Marines assigned to India Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Landing Team, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, withdrew important equipment from the MEU Augmentation Program-Kuwait at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Aug. 10.
MAP-K was established to serve as the warehouse for theater-specific equipment the MEU can draw from when forward-deployed.
MAP-K has issued more than 1,535 Principle End Items since 2010 and supplied India Company tank platoon Marines with four M1A1 Abrams tanks, one M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicle, one MRAP Cougar H 6×6 vehicle, one 7-ton truck, and one forklift.
PEI consists of equipment such as tactical vehicles, weapons and communications gear, according to the program’s website.
[blockquote: The MAP-K program benefits this MEU, especially this tank platoon, and future MEUs with their prepositioned stockpile of vehicles. It helps us maintain the armor-protected firepower and shock effect that the ground combat element needs.: 1st Lt. Harris Emmons, the tank platoon commander assigned to India Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Landing Team, 11th MEU.
Once inspections and maintenance were complete, the platoon used the tanks to qualify on a gunnery range at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.
“This particular exercise is very important because it gives the MEU a different capability and a different way to employ tank platoons in the future,” said Gunnery Sgt. Travis Colson, 11th MEU tank platoon sergeant. “I think that for future MEUs the MAP-K is definitely a viable option. It allows you to have a little bit more freedom and maneuver in loading up your ships.”
The Marines of the 11th MEU are embarked on the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group.
The Boxer ARG and 11th MEU are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the Western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.
