Staff Sgt. Andrew Couls, a mortar section leader for Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Lance Cpl. Ricardo Medrano, a mortarman with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, share stories during a break in training here, Oct. 16. Medrano was recruited by Couls and trained alongside his former recruiter during the annual Philippine Bilateral Amphibious Landing Exercise from Oct. 6 – 16. The 31st MEU and 2/3 trained alongside the Philippine Marines and soldiers for two weeks, integrating the skills gained here to strengthen interoperability in the future. The 31st MEU is the only continuously forward-deployed MEU and is the Marine Corps’ force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific region. - Staff Sgt. Andrew Couls, a mortar section leader for Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Lance Cpl. Ricardo Medrano, a mortarman with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, share stories during a break in training here, Oct. 16. Medrano was recruited by Couls and trained alongside his former recruiter during the annual Philippine Bilateral Amphibious Landing Exercise from Oct. 6 – 16. The 31st MEU and 2/3 trained alongside the Philippine Marines and soldiers for two weeks, integrating the skills gained here to strengthen interoperability in the future. The 31st MEU is the only continuously forward-deployed MEU and is the Marine Corps’ force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific region.