Responding to criticism from lawmakers, Camp Pendleton says it will not seek to shut down all or part of Interstate 5 on Saturday when it stages a live-fire amphibious assault exercise in the presence of Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“All training events will occur on approved training ranges and comport with established safety protocols,” the base said in a statement issued at 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
“No public highways or transportation routes will be closed.”
The White House, Navy and Marines had been privately discussing whether the exercise — which is expected to involve the use of ammo and ordnance during simulated warfare — warranted a freeway closure.
The demonstration will be filmed by the White House for inclusion in a national primetime broadcast on Nov. 9, one day before the official 250th anniversary of the Marines, Camp Pendleton officials said in a statement. The Navy turned that age on Oct. 13.
The celebration will occur on the same day that the No Kings day of protest against the Trump administration unfolds across San Diego County and the rest of the nation. In light of Vance’s visit, protesters are also planning to gather at Camp Pendleton’s main gate Saturday afternoon.
The amphibious assault plan drew a harsh response from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said Wednesday night on the social media site X, “Donald Trump and JD Vance think that shutting down the I-5 to shoot out missiles from ships is how you respect the military.”
Rep. Mike Levin, a Democrat whose district includes part of North County, issued a statement saying the birthday of the Navy and Marines “deserves to be celebrated in a way worthy of their legacy and consistent with their values: honor, courage, and commitment.
“That’s why I am concerned by reports that portions of Interstate 5 could be closed for several hours in both directions on Friday and Saturday to accommodate events tied to anything partisan or political,” he said. “Even on a normal weekend, traffic along the I-5 corridor is heavy.”
Caltrans said in a statement Thursday, “Although the White House has scaled back this event to limit disruption to major roadways, we stand ready to ensure public safety should it be needed.” Drivers were encouraged to visit quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ for real-time traffic information before traveling in the area Friday and Saturday.
I-5 parallels a large stretch of the coastline at Camp Pendleton, an area regularly used for large training exercises, including amphibious assaults.
The base, under the command of Brig. Gen. Nick I. Brown, did not respond to a question from the Union-Tribune about whether Saturday’s exercise will involve the use of missiles.
The operation will be hosted by the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, the Marine Corps’ largest air-ground warfighting task force. It is composed of roughly 53,000 Marines and Navy sailors stationed in Southern California and Arizona, all of whom take direction from 1st MEF headquarters at Pendleton. The task force uses a variety of aircraft, ranging from F-35 fighter jets to CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters to V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport planes. Its chief areas of responsibility are the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.
When on deployment, 1st MEF personnel are typically part of an amphibious ready group, or ARG, a rapid-response force usually composed of an amphibious assault ship — widely known as a “mini” aircraft carrier — a transport dock ship and a similar vessel called a dock landing ship.
On average, a three-ship ARG carries about 4,500 Marines and sailors.
The ARGs transport and deploy Marines globally. Some Marines move by helicopter. But a full-on assault would involve other vessels, including Landing Craft, Air Cushion hovercraft. The Marines are also shifting to the widespread use of new amphibious combat vehicles to get troops ashore.
Saturday’s staged assault is large in nature, so all of these ships, aircraft and landing vessels are likely to be used.
Amphibious assaults are not new. The Marines performed their first one in 1776 in Nassau, Bahamas, when troops seized British gunpowder for use by the Continental Army.
The last large-scale Marine beach assault occurred in 1950 when troops went ashore during the Battle of Inchon in Korea. Members of Pendleton’s 1st Marine Division led the invasion, helping U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur turn the course of the war in favor of allied forces.
Staff writer Teri Figueroa contributed to this report.