NORFOLK, Va. – A global military exercise is underway, and Sailors and Marines from Virginia and North Carolina are included in the efforts.
It’s called Large Scale Exercise 2023, and according to military leaders, it incorporates more than 25,000 Sailors and Marines across 22 time zones.
The exercise is scheduled from August 9 – August 18.
In addition to at least 25 ships and submarines physically participating, another 50 ships will join virtually. One of those is USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVB 69), currently pierside on Naval Station Norfolk.
“It’s probably one of the most dynamic and most stressing situations that we put our watchstanders through and our aircrew through where we actually simulate in the training environment: us being shot at by threat aircraft, threat ships,” described Rear Admiral Marc Miguez, Commander of Carrier Strike Group Two. “We have been teleported into the 6th Fleet AOR [Area of Responsibility].”
While some ships join virtually, burning less fuel and leaving a smaller carbon footprint, other troops are at sea, in the air and on land.
“We have a responsibility and a duty to be able to respond globally to threats and vulnerabilities, to peer adversaries and competitors, and the only way you get great at that is by practicing that and you have to practice that at the highest levels,” stated Admiral Daryl Caudle, Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
News 3’s Angela Bohon went along with national media, on August 11, to fly on a CH-53 heavy lift helicopter to Marine Corps Outlying Field Oak Grove in North Carolina.
There, Marines were refueling aircraft, battling heat and in some cases, worn-out parts.
“We’ve had some maintenance challenges, but they’ve responded extremely well,” CH-53 pilot -Captain Jason Motycka said. “We’ve integrated with other units to get the support we needed to fix our aircraft and continue to operate. So overall, we’ve responded the way we wanted.”
The last time a Large Scale Exercise took place was 2021. Navy and Marine leaders say there will be one in 2025 and planning for that will begin shortly after this year’s event concludes.
