Makin Island ARG and Marine Expeditionary Unit Return Home to San Diego.

The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) have completed a seven-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific, marking a shift in how amphibious forces deploy globally. The ARG/MEU construct is a viable one for the theater, particularly when it comes to deterrence and presence. The deployment allowed the Navy to continue experimenting with the so-called “assault carrier” concept, in which a big-deck amphib that has a squad of F-35Bs aboard works with a carrier strike group.