From Being a Greyhound Bus to Becoming a Strike Force: Bold Alligator 2012 Shows the Way

02/11/2012
02/11/2012 - During the week of Second Line of Defense interviews with the USN-USMC team in early January, the SLD team sat down with Captain Sam Howard and Col. Phil Ridderhof to discuss the exercise and the approach.  In effect, the USN-USMC team is developing an approach to maneuver warfare…

From Afghanistan, to Bold Alligator 2012, to the Future: The USMC Re-shapes Its Capabilities

02/08/2012
02/08/12 In a wide-ranging interview with Second Line of Defense’s Robbin Laird, the Commanding General of 2nd Marine Air Wing (MAW) provided an overview of how USMC aviation operates now and is evolving in the future. The bottom line for the role of USMC Aviation was underscored throughout the interview…

ESG-2 Prepares for Bold Alligator 2012

01/31/2012
[caption id="attachment_32640" align="alignleft" width="150"] Col. Weisz during the SLD Interview (Credit: SLD)[/caption] 01/31/2012 - During the week of Second Line of Defense Interviews in early January 2012, Col. Bradley Weisz, Deputy Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO, explains the approach being followed in support of BA-2012. The Colonel discusses the role…

Coalition Engagement in Bold Alligator 2012

01/26/2012
01/26/12 During the week of Second Line of Defense interviews prior to the beginning of the Bold Alligator 2012, Lieutenant Commander George Pastoor provided a unique coalition perspective.  Pastoor is a Dutch Naval Officer with Expeditionary Strike Force 2 and the lead planner for Bold Alligator. SLD: You are a…

Planning for Bold Alligator 2012

01/19/2012
01/19/2011 by Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake The Second Line of Defense team spent the week of January 8th talking with USN and USMC planners and operators involved in Bold Alligator 2012.  Visits to USMC Forces Command and to 2nd US Fleet Forces in Norfolk were combined with a visit…

Bold Alligator 2012: The USN-USMC Team Shapes the Future (Updated)

01/13/2012
01/13/2012 by Robbin Laird The USN-USMC team is building forces for the future : as the largest amphibious exercise since the 1990s will take place starting this month in Norfolk, Va, it will include not only US forces but French, Dutch and British forces as well. The USN-USMC team is…