The Marines and sailors will be built as a division-sized Marine Air-Ground Task Force and will carry the full complement of Corps assets. They will be used primarily as replacements for the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.

The Marines will deploy in two rotations, from March to September and from September until March 2004. Among the II MEF units on tap are infantrymen from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, based at Camp Lejeune, though base officials are still unsure as to when they will head out.

“As of this time, we don’t have any information on which units are going on which rotation,” said 1st Lt. Cameron Wilson, a II MEF spokesman.

About 1,600 of the II MEF troops will come from air units within the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., 2nd MAW officials said Jan. 8. They will include members of Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2, along with detachments from 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Air Control Squadron 2, Marine Air Support Squadron 1 and Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28.

Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 and Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167, both located at MCAS New River, N.C., and Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 from MCAS Beaufort, S.C., also will deploy for the rotation, along with smaller elements from other units within the wing, 2nd MAW officials said.

Cherry Point officials said the aviation units will deploy on the first Marine rotation, beginning in March. Officials at I MEF have not yet released any details regarding which units have been tapped for Iraq duty.

While they aren’t the bulk of the Iraq force, II MEF troops aren’t sitting on the sidelines. Complementing the troops headed off for Iraq on worldwide deployments are hundreds of II MEF troops currently engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom.

About 600 II MEF Marines and sailors are assigned to Djibouti with Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, while 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines deployed to Afghanistan late last year. Additionally, more than 2,000 Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit are set to leave Camp Lejeune in February for a standard deployment overseas.