U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility -- Recently, Marines and Sailors from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) participated in a live-fire exercise here. During the exercise, the MEU Service Support Group was instrumental in providing the MEU with the essentials - water, fuel, and ammunition - and thus maintained the goal of self-sustainment.To get water, the MSSG used a device called the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit. The ROWPU is designed to take regular seawater, send it through a series of hoses and tanks, and produce clean drinking water out the other side. Trucks are then filled with water and brought out to all the camps and ranges spread out in the desert. Hygiene Equipment Specialists monitor the chemical levels and administer the proper treatment of the water as it is being purified. 24,000 gallons of drinking water were produced a day by only five hygiene specialists. The ROWPU proved an invaluable asset to the survival and effectiveness of the 24th MEU (SOC) and its mission.