In April 1983, the Commandant of the Marine Corps approved
the original permanent Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Headquarters
concept, providing for the sourcing of two Marine Amphibious Unit
(MAU) headquarters from each Marine Amphibious Brigade headquarters.
The Commandant directed the establishment of two additional MAU
headquarters in November 1985. As a result, on 1 Jul 87, at Camp
Pendleton, the Headquarters, 15th MAU was activated under the
command of Colonel M. T. Hopgood, Jr.
In August 1987, the Commandant directed the replacement of the
title 'Headquarters' with 'Command Element' in the titles of the
MAGTF's. The 15th MAU's designation was further changed in February
1988 to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Both changes were
made to more accurately reflect the operational and expeditionary
nature of the MAGTF. Prior to World War II, and in the period
between the war and the Vietnam conflict, Marine units dispatched
for overseas service were generally designated as expeditionary
brigades.
From its activation in July 1987, the 15th MEU has been
training to meet its mission in the rotation with the 11th and
13th MEUs in order to provide a continuous presence in the Western
Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Gulf and as a ready MAGTF in
the Continental United States.
In October 1989, the MEU assisted in the relief efforts following
the San Francisco earthquake. They not only excelled at their
assigned missions but took on several volunteer projects which
helped the victims of the disaster.
Marines of the 15th MEU conducted the evacuation of the Republic
of the Philippines in June 1991 after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.
On 9 Dec. 92, the 15th MEU, including Battalion Landing Team (BLT)
2/9, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 164 and MEU Service
Support Group (MSSG) 15, launched Operation Restore Hope to assist
in the civil war torn and famine stricken country of Somalia.
After securing the capital city of Mogadishu and the American
Embassy on the first day, they quickly moved out to outlying areas
of Berdera, Baido and Kismayo to assist in the protection of food
distribution convoys and patrolling the streets to restore order.
During its deployment in 1994, the MEU provided a detachment of
CH-53E's to assist in the Rwanda Relief Effort. The Detachment,
based in Entebbe Uganda, provided the only heavy lift capability
to the Joint Task Force Commander. A few weeks later the MEU answered
the call again, this time assisting in the relocation of the United
States Liaison Office from Mogadishu Somalia to Nairobi Kenya.
In October 1994 the MEU was called on again to provide a quick
reaction force to counter any possible Iraqi aggression against
Kuwait. Within 48 hours the MEU sent Marines ashore in Kuwait
City to demonstrate U.S. resolve in maintaining peace and security
in the area.
In January 1996 and again in July 1997 the AV-8B Harriers from the 15th MEU (SOC) participated in Operation Southern Watch, which involves patrolling the coalition-imposed no-fly-zone over southern Iraq in order to maintain continuous surveillance of the Kuwait-Iraq border, and to ensure the Iraqi military doesn't violate U.N. resolutions passed since the Gulf War.
TEMPORARILY ACTIVATED AS THE 15TH MARINE AMPHIBIOUS UNIT AT VARIOUS TIMES DURING THE 1970s AND 1980s TO PARTICIPATE IN EXERCISES AND OPERATIONS IN THE PACIFIC AREA
ACTIVATED 8 JULY 1987 AT CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, AS THE 15TH MARINE AMPHIBIOUS UNIT
REDESIGNATED 5 FEBRUARY 1988 AS THE 15TH MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT
PARTICIPATED IN SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM, SOUTHWEST ASIA, AUGUST 1990 - APRIL 1991
PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION FIERY VIGIL, PHILIPPINES, JUNE 1991
PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS IN SOMALIA, DECEMBER 1992 - FEBRUARY 1993 AND SEPTEMBER 1994
PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION SUPPORT HOPE, RELIEF EFFORTS IN RWANDA AND ZAIRE, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994
PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION VIGILANT WARRIOR, SOUTHWEST ASIA, OCTOBER 1994
JOINT MERITORIOUS UNIT AWARD STREAMER WITH TWO BRONZE OAK LEAK CLUSTERS
PHILIPPINES
1991
SOMALIA
1992 - 1993
RWANDA-ZAIRE
1994
NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION STREAMER WITH ONE BRONZE STAR
SOUTHWEST ASIA
1990-1991; 1994
MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION STREAMER
1987 - 1989
NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE STREAMER
ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY STREAMER