A Marine expeditionary brigade (MEB) is a formation of the United States Marine Corps, a Marine air-ground task force of approximately 14,500 Marines and sailors constructed around a reinforced infantry regiment, a composite Marine aircraft group, a combat logistics regiment and a MEB command group. The MEB, commanded by a general officer (usually a brigadier general), is task-organized to meet the requirements of a specific situation. It can function as part of a joint task force, as the lead echelon of the Marine expeditionary force (MEF), or alone. It varies in size and composition, and is larger than a Marine expeditionary unit (MEU) but smaller than a MEF. The MEB is capable of conducting missions across the full range of military operations.
Notional Marine expeditionary brigade in 2010
Command element (CE)
MEB command group
MEB Staff
Detachment, Communications Battalion
Detachment, Intelligence Battalion
Detachment, Law Enforcement Battalion
Detachment, Radio Battalion
Detachment, Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company
Detachment, Force Reconnaissance Company
Ground combat element (GCE)
Regimental Landing Team (RLT) or Regimental Combat Team (RCT)
Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) [notional organization shown below]
45 AV-8B (3 VMA squadrons w/ 15 aircraft each)
24 F/A-18 (2 VMFA squadrons w/ 12 aircraft each)
5 EA-6B (1 VMAQ squadron w/ 5 aircraft each)
6 KC-130 (1 VMGR detachment)
32 CH-53E (2 HMH squadrons w/ 16 aircraft each)
48 CH-46E or MV-22B (4 HMM or VMM squadrons w/ 12 aircraft each)
18 AH-1Z (1 HMLA squadron, each HMLA squadron contains both AH-1 & UH-1 aircraft)
9 UH-1Y (1 HMLA squadron, each HMLA squadron contains both AH-1 & UH-1 aircraft)
45 Stinger missile teams (1 Low Altitude Air Defense firing battery w/ 3 platoons of 15 Stinger missile teams each)
1 Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS) (Provides Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance, Aviation Supply, and Aviation Ordnance support to aircraft squadrons)
1 Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) (Provides Combat Service Support [i.e., all essential aviation ground support and services] to enable the MAG to perform its aviation mission)
Other aviation support squadron detachments as required (MACS, MASS, MTACS, MWCS)