{"id":64211,"date":"2020-12-22T19:42:22","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T19:42:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/12\/22\/navy-marines-bolster-maritime-presence-off-the-coast-of-somalia-amid-us-troop-relocation\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:07:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:07:52","slug":"navy-marines-bolster-maritime-presence-off-the-coast-of-somalia-amid-us-troop-relocation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/12\/22\/navy-marines-bolster-maritime-presence-off-the-coast-of-somalia-amid-us-troop-relocation\/","title":{"rendered":"Navy, Marines bolster maritime presence off the coast of Somalia amid US troop relocation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The U.S. is bolstering its maritime presence just off the Somali coast as U.S. Africa Command<\/a> starts to reposition forces from Somalia to other areas of the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFRICOM announced Tuesday that the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit \u2014 consisting of nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines \u2014 are now operating off the coast of Somalia<\/a> to conduct maritime security operations with the expeditionary sea base Hershel \u201cWoody\u201d Williams. The aircraft carrier Nimitz is also in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe arrival of the ARG\/MEU and its significant combat capability demonstrates our resolve to support our partners and protect our forces through this transition,\u201d U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Dagvin Anderson, Joint Task Force-Quartz commander, said in a news release. \u2019’This is a great example of how the United States can rapidly aggregate combat power to respond to emerging issues. We will look to leverage this inherent flexibility of the U.S. military in support of our future engagements in East Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFRICOM recently stood up Joint Task Force-Quartz to supervise Operation Octave Quartz, which is in charge of repositioning of hundreds of U.S. troops in Somalia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group consists of amphibious assault ship Makin Island and amphibious transport dock ships San Diego and Somerset. The Hershel \u201cWoody\u201d Williams, which AFRICOM announced on Dec. 19 had moved into the region as part of Joint Task Force-Quartz, has been deployed since July in support of AFRICOM\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the Nimitz and its carrier strike group are also off the coast of Somalia, per USNI News\u2019 fleet tracker from Dec. 21. USNI News was the first to report<\/a> that the Nimitz along with the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group had moved to waters off the coast of Somalia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier in December the Pentagon disclosed it was planning to remove a \u201cmajority\u201d of the 700 U.S. troops in Somalia from the country and relocate them by early 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFRICOM commander Army Gen. Stephen Townsend said Dec. 19<\/a> that the troops would be repositioned to other areas in east Africa, noting that the command was still committed to its mission in east Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\t