More than 4,500 sailors and Marines from the Essex Amphibious Ready Group and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit left San Diego Monday for a deployment to Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

The amphibious assault ship Essex and the amphibious dock landing ship Rushmore are accompanied by the amphibious dock landing ship Anchorage, which is on its maiden deployment.

Their first stop will be in the Hawaii operating area, where they are scheduled to participate in Culebra Koa 2015, a Pacific Fleet training exercise designed to demonstrate and increase joint proficiency in expeditionary operations.

"The Essex ARG/MEU has conducted a robust training cycle and has become a stronger Navy-Marine Corps team, successfully completing every evolution and certifying with flying colors," said Capt. Clint Carroll, commander of Amphibious Squadron 3, in a news release.

"The sailors and Marines exemplify the hard work, dedication and unit cohesion necessary for a successful deployment. I am confident we are prepared to face any challenge and meet all missions."

The ARG/MEU team will eventually replace the Iwo Jima ARG and the 24th MEU as the maritime security and crisis response force in 5th Fleet. The Iwo Jima has been floating off the coast of Yemen for weeks in response to the fighting there.

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