4,200 Sailors and Marines to deploy Friday

SAN DIEGO - The amphibious ready group led by the USS Boxer will deploy from San Diego to the Western Pacific and Middle East on Friday, the Navy announced today.

The group includes the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans and amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry.

''We've had a very rigorous training cycle to prepare us to execute any mission when called upon," said Capt. Malcolm Potts, the commander of Amphibious Squadron 1 and the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group. ''I am awed and impressed by the ingenuity, creativity, and industriousness of the...