31st Marine Expeditionary Unit

Col. Robert Brodie, commanding officer of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, signs the 31st MEU logo during a Veteran’s Day ceremony on Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Nov. 12, 2018. The Mayor’s Office here commissioned the work in honor of the Marines and Sailors of the 31st MEU who have been working to since Oct. 29 to assist local and CNMI officials during relief efforts in the wake of Super Typhoon Yutu, which struck here Oct. 25 as the second strongest storm to ever hit U.S. soil. Marines and Sailors with the 31st MEU and CLB-31 arrived on Tinian Oct. 29-31 to lead relief efforts on Tinian in response to Yutu as part of Task Force-West. TF-W is leading the Department of Defense’s efforts to assist CNMI’s local and civil authorities provide critical assistance for citizens devastated by Yutu. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall/Released)

Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit visit the ocean side ‘Blowhole’ on Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Nov. 11, 2018. Marines with the 31st MEU and Combat Logistics Battalion 31 have been leading the multi-service Department of Defense’s Defense Support of Civil Authorities relief efforts here since Oct. 29 in the wake of Super Typhoon Yutu, which wreaked havoc as the second strongest storm to ever hit U.S. soil on Oct. 25. Tinian, host of a 1944 WWII battle during the Marianas Campaign, is part of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. More than 320 Marines, sailors and soldiers died during the battle here in June and July 1944 as allied forces moved toward Imperial Japan. As a historic battle site, Marines and sailors with both the 31st MEU and CLB-31 spent time exploring the island during the DSCA mission to learn about its significance in American history. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish/Released)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Maxwell Manville, a construction mechanic with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1, hits a ball at a community relations baseball event during U.S. Defense Support of Civil Authorities relief efforts on Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Nov. 9, 2018. Manville, a native of Reno, Nevada, graduated from Reed High School in June 2014 before enlisting in June 2015. Businesses, government buildings, homes and schools were heavily damaged by Super Typhoon Yutu, which made a direct hit with devastating effect on Tinian Oct. 25 as the second strongest-storm to ever hit U.S. soil. Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Combat Logistics Battalion 31 arrived on Tinian Oct. 29-31 in the wake of Super Typhoon Yutu as part of Task Force-West. TF-W is providing Department of U.S. Defense support to the CNMI's civil and local officials as part of the FEMA-supported Super Typhoon recovery effort. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps' only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall/Released)

Lance Cpl. Eric Russell, a basic water support technician with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, pumps purified water for citizens of Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Oct. 31, 2018. Russell, a native of Muskegon, Michigan, graduated from Oakridge High School in June 2017 before enlisting in November the same year. Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and CLB-31 arrived on Tinian Oct. 29-30 in the wake of Super Typhoon Yutu as part of the U.S. Defense Support of Civil Authorities here. The Marines arrived at the request of CNMI officials and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist relief efforts in the wake of Yutu, the largest typhoon to ever hit a U.S. territory. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall/Released)

Col. Robert “Bams” Brodie, commander of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, speaks with local elected officials of Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, after arriving to support relief efforts here in the wake of Super Typhoon Yutu, Oct. 29, 2018. Marines with the 31st MEU and Combat Logistics Battalion 31 arrived on Tinian in the wake of Super Typhoon Yutu as part of the U.S. Defense Support of Civil Authorities here. The Marines arrived at the request of CNMI officials and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist relief efforts in the wake of Yutu, the largest typhoon to ever hit a U.S. territory. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish/Released)

Sgt. Charles Herndon, a combat engineer with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, chainsaws a downed tree outside the Tinian Public School, Oct. 30, 2018. Herndon, a native of Carrollton, Georgia, enlisted in June 2013 after graduating from Central High School in May of the same year. Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and CLB-31 spent the day helping clear debris at the school as part of the U.S. Defense Support of Civil Authorities across the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, to which Tinian belongs. The Marines arrived at the request of CNMI officials and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist relief efforts in the wake of Yutu, the largest typhoon to ever hit a U.S. territory. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish/Released)

Gunnery Sgt. Angel Ignacio, the battalion gunnery sergeant with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, catches a package of bottled water from a coastguardsman aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Washington (WPB-1331) while delivering food and supplies to citizens of Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands during relief efforts in the wake of Super Typhoon Yutu, Oct. 29, 2018. Ignacio, a communications chief, is a native of Guam, CNMI, which was also affected by Yutu. The Marines arrived on Tinian in the wake of Super Typhoon Yutu as part of the U.S. Defense Support of Civil Authorities here. The Marines arrived at the request of CNMI officials and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist relief efforts in the wake of Yutu, the largest typhoon to ever hit a U.S. territory. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish/Released)

An F-35B Lightning II attack jet flies behind a KC-130J tanker aircraft during an aerial refueling mission above the East China Sea, Oct. 23, 2018. The F-35B belongs to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121) and the KC-130J belongs to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152). VMFA-121, part of the Aviation Combat Element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is the Marine Corps’ only forward-deployed F-35B squadron – as part of the 31st MEU, the squadron provides fixed-wing attack capabilities across the Indo-Pacific region during Marine Corps and U.S. Navy amphibious operations. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish/RELEASED)

A pair of F-35B Lightning II attack jets fly alongside a KC-130J tanker aircraft during an aerial refueling mission above the East China Sea, Oct. 23, 2018. The F-35Bs belong to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121) and the KC-130J belongs to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152). VMFA-121, part of the Aviation Combat Element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is the Marine Corps’ only forward-deployed F-35B squadron – as part of the 31st MEU, the squadron provides fixed-wing attack capabilities across the Indo-Pacific region during Marine Corps and U.S. Navy amphibious operations. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Isaac Cantrell/RELEASED)

A reconnaissance survey and decontamination Marine with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, simulates being a casualty during a drill known as Operation Dirty Bird aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the East China Sea, Oct. 22, 2018. Operation Dirty Bird is a decontamination exercise that integrated Marines and Sailors as they processed simulated casualties from a contaminated environment through the ship using chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense processing. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall/Released)

Lt. Cmdr. Jay Weatherwax, the chaplain for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit prays for Lance Cpl. Paul Butler, right, a data system administrator with the 31st MEU, during a renewal of faith baptism aboard the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the East China Sea, Oct. 21, 2018. While on patrol, Marines and Sailors have a variety of religious services available to fulfill their religious needs. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall/Released)

Lance Cpl. Isaiah J. Cotton, a rifleman with Company F, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, fires an M4 carbine during marksmanship training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the East China Sea, Oct. 16, 2018. Cotton, a native of Springfield, Illinois, graduated Springfield Southeast High School in May 2015; he enlisted November 2016. Company F, the helicopter-borne raid element with BLT 2/5, conducted this training to refine marksmanship skills during the fall patrol. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide range of military operations. (U.S Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Angelo Garavito/Released)

A reconnaissance Marine with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon fires an M249 squad automatic weapon during marksmanship training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the East China Sea, Oct. 16, 2018. Marines with ARP specialize in close-quarters tactics during amphibious operations. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall/Released)

U.S. Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon exit a U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter during Helocast and Special Patrol Insertion and Extraction training, underway in the East China Sea, Oct. 14, 2018. The Seahawk belongs to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25. Helocasting and SPIE operations allow the recon Marines to enter and exit tactical landing zones that are inaccessible to helicopters during amphibious operations. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kealii De Los Santos)

Lance Cpl. Haley Suarez, an inventory management specialist with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, plays with a child during a 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit Family Day held at the Camp Courtney Chapel aboard Camp Courtney, Oct. 13, 2018. The event was held to allow families of Marines and Sailors currently deployed on the MEU to come together and offered face painting, bouncy houses and food and drinks. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Isaac Cantrell/Released)

Lance Cpl. Michael Misbach, an intelligence specialist with Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, operates an Instant Eye Mk-2 GEN3-A0 small unmanned aerial system during an inspection aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the South China Sea, Oct. 11, 2018. Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Ground Combat Element tested the Instant Eye to ensure operational close reconnaissance capabilities during the fall patrol. Misbach, a native of New Haven, Connecticut, graduated from East Haven High School in June 2014. He enlisted January 2017. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides flexible force ready to provide a wide-range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alexis B. Betances)

River boats navigate the Singapore River, Oct. 4, 2018. Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in the “Lion City” aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) October 2 for a port visit after more than a month at sea during a regularly-scheduled patrol of the Indo-Pacific region. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps' only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish/Released)

Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Sailors with the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) stand atop the port side of the flight deck as the ship departs the island nation of Singapore, Oct. 7, 2018. Marines and Sailors with the 31st MEU arrived in Singapore aboard the Wasp October 2 for a port visit after more than a month at sea during a regularly-scheduled patrol of the Indo-Pacific region. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps' only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish/Released)

A CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter belonging to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced) lifts a Humvee during Helicopter Support Team training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the South China Sea, Oct. 1, 2018. Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct HST training to rehearse aerial resupply. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall)