ODESSA, Ukraine -- Elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), (24th MEU (SOC)), completed their offload June 21, and immediately turned their attention toward interaction with the other nations, camp setup and the schedule of events for the multi-national cross training exercise.
Between two thunderstorms, Marines and Sailors of the MEU compared and contrasted uniforms, weapons, vehicles and medical equipment. Meals-Ready-To-Eat and British field rations quickly became the popular swap item between U.S. and British Royal Marines.
Several members of the multitude of nations involved engaged in physical training ranging from a run around a nearby track to a friendly game of football.
As the day progressed, everyone seemed to have broken the ice and become more comfortable with the language barriers.
The day concluded with the evening operations meeting between the unit Commanders, ensuring that every member of the multi-national exercise force had the same schedule for the next day's events.
Follow the 24th MEU (SOC) deployment on their website at www.usmc.mil.