Mayport ships to join fight against terrorism

Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group enters U.S. 5th Fleet

MAYPORT, Fla. – The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit on board passed through the the Suez Canal and entering the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations which includes the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.

The amphibious group includes the assault ships USS Iwo Jima and USS New York and dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry.

While deployed to the region, the group will conduct maritime security operations and participate in theater security cooperation and disrupt violent extremists' illegal activities such as hijacking, piracy, weapons smuggling and human trafficking.

"The Marines and sailors... are ready to provide a flexible, adaptable and persistent force in the region," said Capt. Timothy L. Schorr, commander of Amphibious Squadron 8. "We are a highly capable team of professionals and we are ready to answer the call in this dynamic and challenging environment."