Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, Fla. -- Blount Island Command provides prepositioning programs and operational logistics support to the U.S. Marine Corps and other Department of Defense forces from their hub located aboard Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, Florida.
In December of 2021, Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps directed end of mission actions for the Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Augmentation Program-Kuwait (MAP-K) which was located at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
Shifts in the National Defense Strategy, lack of Overseas Contingency Operations funding beyond FY22, and a continued divesture of all USMC Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs) led to the FY22 end of mission decision.
The program was initiated in 2005 when 48 up armored Humvees, supplemented with Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) tractors and associated trailers, were off-loaded in Kuwait.
Designed to provide Marine Corps units within the Central Command (CENTCOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR) that were employed ashore with mission and theatre specific equipment, MAP-K maintained, issued and recovered vehicles and equipment. Approximately 8,000 Principle End Items (PEI), along with hundreds of MRAPs were drawn by units deploying to Iraq or participating in exercises ashore over the last 10 years.
Throughout its lifespan, MAP-K supported numerous named Operations, contingencies and training exercises including; Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Inherent Resolve (Task force 9.7), Operation Freedom Sentinel, Special Purpose MAGTF-Crisis Response Horn of Africa, and Central Command Crisis Response.
Numerous Marine Requirements Oversight Council Decision Memorandums enhanced the MAP-K equipment set by providing additional capability in support of the deploying MAGTF’s to the Central Command (CENTCOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR). MAP-K provided protective mobility, armor, engineering and fires in support of numerous operations, contingencies and training exercises throughout its 17 year existence.
Col. John S. Sattely, Commander of Blount Island Command summarized the impact of MAP-K by stating, “The MEU Augmentation Program - Kuwait has been a key logistics enabler to Marine units operating in the USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility with ready to issue equipment and supplies.”
“This historic prepositioning ashore capability kept our Marine Forces sustained forward and always at the ready. The MAP-K program has laid the foundation for the future Global Positioning Network and will be a storied chapter for Marine Corps Logistics Command," added Sattely.
As of October 1, 100% of the MAP-K equipment had been redistributed or divested as directed by HQMC.