Dzirhan Mahadzir – June 4, 2026 11:50 AM
Specialized Marine Air-Ground Task Force Ashland recently completed a four-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific, returning to California in the past week.
The Marine Corps element of TF Ashland returned Friday to Camp Pendleton, disembarking from amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48). The ship arrived Monday at its homeport of San Diego, just over four months after it departed Jan. 24.
TF Ashland was comprised of Ashland and its crew, a command element from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a ground combat element from 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, a logistics combat element from Combat Logistics Regiment 17, I Marine Logistics Group and an Assault Craft Unit 5 detachment of two Landing Craft Air Cushions to support amphibious operations.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the team’s work over these past four months at sea,” Cmdr. Adam Peeples, commanding officer of Ashland, said in a Navy news release. “As our sailors and Marines look back at their accomplishments, I hope they feel the same pride and satisfaction I do leading this team.”
While deployed, the task force participated in February in the 45th iteration of Exercise Cobra Gold in Thailand and in April the 40th iteration of Exercise Balikatan in the Philippines.
While in port at Cebu, Philippines, Ashland completed a three-week ship repair and maintenance exercise as part of its scheduled port visit. A ship repair and maintenance exercise rehearses coordination and execution of ship damage repair from forward locations within the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Navy release.
In April, Ashland, Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown (FFH339), fleet oiler MV Asterix and Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Toowoomba (FFH156) carried out a multilateral exercise in the South China Sea that focused on surface action group operations and interoperability with allied navies.
“The 15th MEU’s deployment as TF Ashland proved that a task-organized, scalable force can deliver credible combat power while continuing to strengthen relationships with our allies,” Lt. Col. Matt Bride, commander of troops for TF Ashland and the 15th MEU executive officer, said in a Marine Corps news release. “Whether executing complex, multinational exercises or demonstrating the forward-thinking principles of distributed maritime operations, our Navy-Marine Corps team consistently met every challenge with the professionalism and effectiveness that underpins the legacy of our respective organizations.”
TF Ashland’s deployment marks the second year in a row that the Navy and Marine Corps has deployed a West Coast-based amphibious ship and embarked Marines on a solo deployment. Amphibious dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD-45) and an embarked Marine force of 115 U.S. Marines and sailors conducted a three-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific last year.
The 15th MEU is one of three MEUs under I Marine Expeditionary Force – the others being the 11th and 13th MEUs. The 11th MEU is currently deployed, while the 13th MEU is preparing for deployment.
Along with providing a command element for TF Ashland, the 15th MEU also provided the command element for Marine Rotational Force-South East Asia (MRF-SEA). The 15th MEU commanding officer, Col. Robb McDonald, led the force from October 2025 to late March 2026. MRF-SEA was extended beyond its normal rotation with a new command element drawn from 1 MEF, USNI News previously reported.
Meanwhile the 11th MEU deployed in March as the embarked MEU element of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group. The Boxer ARG – comprised of big deck amphibious warship USS Boxer (LHD-4), Comstock and amphibious transport dock USS Portland (LPD-27) – has split up with Boxer and Comstock previously operating in the Indian Ocean while Portland is in the Western Pacific. Boxer pulled into Singapore on May 19, departed Saturday and is now in the South China Sea, USNI News reported.
The 13th MEU is working toward full certification for a deployment this year. In a Wednesday news release, the 13th MEU said it had successfully concluded Realistic Urban Training, a major pre-deployment exercise that was held from May 26-June 3 across various locations in the southwest United States.
The training involved more than 1,000 Marines and sailors from the 13th MEU’s Command Element, Battalion Landing Team 2/4, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364 (Reinforced), Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, and Combat Logistics Battalion 13.
“Realistic Urban Training is a critical milestone that forges the individual elements of the 13th MEU into a unified, combat-ready MAGTF,” Col. Richard Alvarez, commanding officer of the 13th MEU, said in the news release. “Operating in complex, austere and urban environments provides the realism necessary to develop the essential skills required for rapid crisis response around the globe. RUT has made the 13th MEU a better prepared, more lethal force.”
During RUT, the 13th MEU drilled on crisis response, conducted two expeditionary strikes, three amphibious raids and two Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel missions. Both the Maritime Raid Force – comprised primarily of Reconnaissance Marines – and Battalion Landing Team 2/4 infantry elements conducted raids supported by the MAGTF. The MEU’s aviation assets, which included MV-22B Ospreys, CH-53E Super Stallions, AH-1Z Vipers and UH-1Y Venoms helicopters, F-35B Lightning II fighters and KC-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft, supported two forward arming and refueling points to extend the reach of the MEU, according to the release.
“By integrating its command, air, ground, and logistics elements, the 13th MEU has demonstrated its readiness to respond swiftly and effectively to any contingency. The successful completion of RUT validates the 13th MEU as a versatile expeditionary force prepared for future operations,” reads the news release.
Dzirhan Mahadzir
Dzirhan Mahadzir is a freelance defense journalist and analyst based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Among the publications he has written for and currently writes for since 1998 includes Defence Review Asia, Jane’s Defence Weekly, Navy International, International Defence Review, Asian Defence Journal, Defence Helicopter, Asian Military Review and the Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter.