Overview

• The three-ship force left Naval Station Norfolk on Aug. 14 with more than 4,500 sailors and Marines aboard USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale.
• Defense officials say the group is heading to the southern Caribbean to support anti–drug trafficking efforts as part of a broader repositioning that includes P-8 reconnaissance aircraft and at least one submarine.
• A U.S. official said the ships are operating off the Carolinas to avoid Hurricane Erin, delaying their entry into Caribbean waters.
• Amphibious ship readiness has fallen to about 41 percent, contributing to a more than five-month gap in MEU deployments this year and reflecting long-running maintenance shortfalls cited by the GAO.
• Officials cautioned the Marines lack specific drug-interdiction training, while the Navy has described the cruise as a regularly scheduled deployment.