When that agreement came into effect on July 1, 1980, Headquarters, Fleet Marine Force Europe, the predecessor of the present unit, was founded in London including an independent 40-person staff as a Designed Component Command, to act as a Command Unit for further formations to be put under EUCOM-Command in case of a crisis situation.

[3] NALMEB is a remnant NATO Cold War reinforcement organization, and would have come under command of Allied Forces Northern Europe.

Significant equipment storage for a MEB is located in northern Norway under the Marine Corps Prepositioning Program-Norway,[4] and administered in the contiguous United States by Blount Island Command.

[6] As of January 2017, a rotational force of about 330 (infantry) U.S. Marines from Camp Lejeune, NC, are stationed in Trondheim, Norway on two six-month deployments.

[Their] presence in Norway facilitates military exercises that support NATO and USEUCOM operational plans; increases interoperability with Allies and Partners; advances efforts for more naval integration; and enables recuperation of the Marine Corps' cold weather and mountain proficiencies."