Marines doing some offshore training will be back home for the holidays.
It's been three weeks since we took you aboard the U.S.S. Iwo Jima with Marines from Camp Lejeune.
Between Monday and Tuesday those Marines and Sailors have finished up their training off our coast. They've also been off the coast of Florida in that three week time span, training for humanitarian efforts.
For many of the Marines this was their first time on a ship.
They've spent most of their career so far in Afghanistan.
Those aboard the U.S.S. Iwo Jima were off loading and returning to dry land the past few days.
The 24th "MEU" is set to deploy early next year toward the Mediterranean.
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Marines from here in the east are training out at sea aboard the U.S.S. Iwo Jima and WITN got a chance to get a close-up look at that training.
Carly Swain headed out with the Marines Wednesday morning.
The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit adds up to nearly 2,200 Marines by air, by land, and by sea. The training exercise Wednesday was just to get everyone in place. It took Marines from Onslow Beach through calm and sometimes choppy waters-- to the U.S.S. Iwo Jima where Marines and Sailors will live for the next three weeks of training off our coast.
The Marines with the 24th MEU are set to deploy early next year after a few more training exercises.
