African Lion 2010.

The Marine Corps appears almost to be exercise happy.  Or rather the Combatant Commanders appear to be exercise happy.

I imagine the reason why reservist units are getting so many of these slots is because at the pace at which these exercises are taking place, to use active duty personnel would screw up the Unit Rotation Schedule.

Reserve Marines from 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, headquartered in Quantico, Va., speed through the southwestern Moroccan desert in their light armored vehicle here June 8. The mobile leathernecks served as a key component of the maneuver element during the final exercise here June 9 for African Lion 2010, a theater security cooperation exercise conducted annually between U.S. and Moroccan forces. 

Maj. Paul Greenberg 

NOTE: Admiral Mullen is fully behind the idea of using US forces in the soft power role of 'partnerships'....The problem with that approach is that many of the regime's that we're involved with are corrupt or oppressive or both. Another issue is that this might work well a Navy ship...they sail into port, the sailors hop off and pass out food or paint schools...heck even jump rope with the school kids. With ground forces the dynamics are completely different. You have units that go out with the host nations personnel and practice killing or blowing things up. Soft power in the eyes of the US, hardpower in the eyes of the local population.