How many standing Marine Expeditionary Forces are there?

• A. 2
• B. 3
• C. 4
• D. 5

Answer: (B)

There are three standing Marine Expeditionary Forces. They form the Marine Corps’ permanent, ready-to-deploy commands: I MEF on the U.S. West Coast, II MEF on the U.S. East Coast, and III MEF in the Pacific/Asia region. Each MEF is a self-sustaining, combined-arms force capable of quickly scaling to various mission sets, from crisis response to larger operational campaigns. This global, ready-to-go structure means the Marine Corps maintains three standing MEFs to ensure rapid, worldwide reach.