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Marines with Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, sit on a Light Armored Vehicle atop the flight deck aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) during a defense of the amphibious task force drill, underway in the South China Sea, Sept. 27, 2018. During the training, Marines with BLT 2/5 and crewmen with the Wasp rehearsed ship security using a variety of mounted and dismounted small-arms and heavy weapons. As part of the DATF-D, the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit team assumed a security posture to simulate travelling through potentially dangerous waters. Wasp, flagship of the Wasp ARG, with embarked 31st MEU, is operating in the Indo-Pacific region to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. BLT 2/5 is the Ground Combat Element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, currently underway aboard the Wasp 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 across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. E. V. Hagewood/Released)

Marines with Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, sit on a Light Armored Vehicle atop the flight deck aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) during a defense of the amphibious task force drill, underway in the South China Sea, Sept. 27, 2018. During the training, Marines with BLT 2/5 and crewmen with the Wasp rehearsed ship security using a variety of mounted and dismounted small-arms and heavy weapons. As part of the DATF-D, the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit team assumed a security posture to simulate travelling through potentially dangerous waters. Wasp, flagship of the Wasp ARG, with embarked 31st MEU, is operating in the Indo-Pacific region to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. BLT 2/5 is the Ground Combat Element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, currently underway aboard the Wasp 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 across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. E. V. Hagewood/Released)

Photo by Gunnery Sgt. E. V. Hagewood

Cpl. Dustin Johnson, a Military Working Dog handler with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, stands with his partner, Ziva, aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), Oct. 1, 2018. Johnson, a native of Liberty, Mississippi, enlisted as a miltary policeman in March 2015. MWD handlers support the 31st MEU during training in garrison in Okinawa, Japan and while underway aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). MWD handlers have supported Marine Corps amphibious operations since WWII - their partners, man's best friend, have saved countless lives during the decades across the globe. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish/Released)

Cpl. Dustin Johnson, a Military Working Dog handler with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, stands with his partner, Ziva, aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), Oct. 1, 2018. Johnson, a native of Liberty, Mississippi, enlisted as a miltary policeman in March 2015. MWD handlers support the 31st MEU during training in garrison in Okinawa, Japan and while underway aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). MWD handlers have supported Marine Corps amphibious operations since WWII - their partners, man's best friend, have saved countless lives during the decades across the globe. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish/Released)

Photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish

A Marine with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit fast-ropes from a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter during training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the South China Sea, Sept. 25, 2018. Fast roping allows Marines to quickly enter otherwise inaccessible locations from above. 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 Cpl. Bernadette Plouffe/Released)

A Marine with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit fast-ropes from a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter during training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the South China Sea, Sept. 25, 2018. Fast roping allows Marines to quickly enter otherwise inaccessible locations from above. 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 Cpl. Bernadette Plouffe/Released)

Photo by Cpl. Bernadette Plouffe

Staff Sgt. Dallas Allen, the weapons platoon sergeant with Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, salutes during a chief pinning ceremony aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) while underway in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 16, 2018. Allen took part in the initiation to experience naval customs and learn more of its history. The chief pinning ceremony is a naval tradition in which chief selectees perform a series of tasks and tests as part of achieving the title of Chief Petty Officer. 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 in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall)

Staff Sgt. Dallas Allen, the weapons platoon sergeant with Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, salutes during a chief pinning ceremony aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) while underway in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 16, 2018. Allen took part in the initiation to experience naval customs and learn more of its history. The chief pinning ceremony is a naval tradition in which chief selectees perform a series of tasks and tests as part of achieving the title of Chief Petty Officer. 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 in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall

A Marine with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit fast ropes during training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 19, 2018. Fast roping allows Marines to enter otherwise inaccessible locations from above. 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)

A Marine with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit fast ropes during training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 19, 2018. Fast roping allows Marines to enter otherwise inaccessible locations from above. 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)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall

Rigsby, a military working dog with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, waits for a command during a military working dog demonstration aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) while underway in the Pacific Ocean, Sep. 19, 2018. The 31st MEU uses military working dogs and their handlers for protection and aggression in order to disarm and take down targets when needed. 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)

Rigsby, a military working dog with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, waits for a command during a military working dog demonstration aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) while underway in the Pacific Ocean, Sep. 19, 2018. The 31st MEU uses military working dogs and their handlers for protection and aggression in order to disarm and take down targets when needed. 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)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall

Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon conduct M1911 .45-caliber pistol marksmanship training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the East China Sea, Sept. 21, 2018. The ARP Marines carry a variety of tactical weapons, including the M1911, and specialize in close-quarters battle 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)

Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon conduct M1911 .45-caliber pistol marksmanship training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), underway in the East China Sea, Sept. 21, 2018. The ARP Marines carry a variety of tactical weapons, including the M1911, and specialize in close-quarters battle 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)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall

An MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft flies above the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) during night takeoff and landing training, underway in the East China Sea, Sept. 23, 2018. The Osprey belongs to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), the Aviation Combat Element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. Marine naval aviators with VMM-262 (Rein.) perform a wide variety of aviation missions for the 31st MEU, including troop transport, heavy and medium lift, fixed-wing attack support and aerial reconnaissance. 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 MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft flies above the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) during night takeoff and landing training, underway in the East China Sea, Sept. 23, 2018. The Osprey belongs to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), the Aviation Combat Element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. Marine naval aviators with VMM-262 (Rein.) perform a wide variety of aviation missions for the 31st MEU, including troop transport, heavy and medium lift, fixed-wing attack support and aerial reconnaissance. 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)

Photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish

Col. Robert Brodie, commanding officer of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, speaks to Marines, Sailors and their families during a pre-deployment brief at Camp Shields, Okinawa, Japan, July 31, 2018. The 31st MEU conducts pre-deployment briefs to inform Marines, Sailors and their families about programs that are available to alleviate any problems before the unit deploys. 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 Brodie, commanding officer of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, speaks to Marines, Sailors and their families during a pre-deployment brief at Camp Shields, Okinawa, Japan, July 31, 2018. The 31st MEU conducts pre-deployment briefs to inform Marines, Sailors and their families about programs that are available to alleviate any problems before the unit deploys. 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)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall

Marines and Sailors from Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, and Combat Logistics Battalion 31, clean up debris after Typhoon Mangkhut as part of typhoon relief efforts in Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Sept. 13, 2018. Service members from the Indo-Pacific Command are providing Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and working with Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana civil and local officials for Typhoon Mangkhut recovery efforts. 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 Cpl. Bernadette Plouffe/Released)

Marines and Sailors from Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, and Combat Logistics Battalion 31, clean up debris after Typhoon Mangkhut as part of typhoon relief efforts in Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Sept. 13, 2018. Service members from the Indo-Pacific Command are providing Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and working with Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana civil and local officials for Typhoon Mangkhut recovery efforts. 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 Cpl. Bernadette Plouffe/Released)

Photo by Cpl. Bernadette Plouffe

A Marine from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit cleans up debris after Typhoon Mangkhut during typhoon relief efforts in Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Sept. 13, 2018. Service members from the Indo-Pacific Command are providing Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and working with Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana civil and local officials for Typhoon Mangkhut recovery efforts. 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. Bernadette Plouffe/Released)

A Marine from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit cleans up debris after Typhoon Mangkhut during typhoon relief efforts in Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Sept. 13, 2018. Service members from the Indo-Pacific Command are providing Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and working with Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana civil and local officials for Typhoon Mangkhut recovery efforts. 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. Bernadette Plouffe/Released)

Photo by Cpl. Bernadette Plouffe

Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit fill five gallon water jugs aboard the dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48), underway in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 11, 2018. Marines and Sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 31 and Company E, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, currently underway aboard the Ashland, are preparing with the 31st MEU and Wasp Amphibious Ready Group to assist local agencies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency with distributing emergency relief supplies to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands after it was struck by Typhoon Mangkhut, Sept. 10-11. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Matt Navarra/Released)

Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit fill five gallon water jugs aboard the dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48), underway in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 11, 2018. Marines and Sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 31 and Company E, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, currently underway aboard the Ashland, are preparing with the 31st MEU and Wasp Amphibious Ready Group to assist local agencies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency with distributing emergency relief supplies to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands after it was struck by Typhoon Mangkhut, Sept. 10-11. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Matt Navarra/Released)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Matt Navarra

Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 31 carry supplies from a CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Rein.) during typhoon relief efforts in Rota, Northern Mariana Islands, Sept. 11, 2018. Service members from the Indo-Pacific Command are providing Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and working with Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas civil and local officials for Typhoon Mangkhut recovery efforts. 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 Cpl. Bernadette Plouffe/Released)

Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 31 carry supplies from a CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Rein.) during typhoon relief efforts in Rota, Northern Mariana Islands, Sept. 11, 2018. Service members from the Indo-Pacific Command are providing Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and working with Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas civil and local officials for Typhoon Mangkhut recovery efforts. 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 Cpl. Bernadette Plouffe/Released)

Photo by Cpl. Bernadette Plouffe

Marines and Sailors of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Sailors with the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) take off aboard an MV-22B Osprey to conduct surveys on the islands of Guam and Saipan as part of the Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team, off the coast of Guam, Sep. 9, 2018. The 31st MEU and the ships of the Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group are assisting local government and the Federal Emergency Management Agency with distributing emergency relief supplies after the island was struck by Typhoon Mangkhut, September 10. 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. Alexis B. Betances/Released)

Marines and Sailors of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Sailors with the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) take off aboard an MV-22B Osprey to conduct surveys on the islands of Guam and Saipan as part of the Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team, off the coast of Guam, Sep. 9, 2018. The 31st MEU and the ships of the Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group are assisting local government and the Federal Emergency Management Agency with distributing emergency relief supplies after the island was struck by Typhoon Mangkhut, September 10. 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. Alexis B. Betances/Released)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Alexis B. Betances

Col. Scott Fosdal, Expeditionary Operations Training Group senior evaluator, shakes hands with Marines and Sailors during a celebration honoring his retirement aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Sep. 3, 2018. Fosdal, a native of Rockdale, Wisconsin, graduated Texas A&M University December 1988; he commissioned that same month. He lived, experienced and participated in the the most recent consequential decades of the Corps’ storied history; Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom – Fosdal has had a front row view of America’s wars during three decades as a Reconnaissance Marine. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall/Released)

Col. Scott Fosdal, Expeditionary Operations Training Group senior evaluator, shakes hands with Marines and Sailors during a celebration honoring his retirement aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Sep. 3, 2018. Fosdal, a native of Rockdale, Wisconsin, graduated Texas A&M University December 1988; he commissioned that same month. He lived, experienced and participated in the the most recent consequential decades of the Corps’ storied history; Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom – Fosdal has had a front row view of America’s wars during three decades as a Reconnaissance Marine. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall/Released)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall

A reconnaissance Marine with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon exits the Designated Impact Point during free-fall parachute training at Ie Shima Training Facility, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 29, 2018. The ARP Marines flew to a spot above a landing zone on Ie Shima Training Facility, off Okinawa’s northwest coast, before exiting a cruising MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft – from there, the Marines fell for approximately 50 seconds before deploying parachutes to land safely. 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. Alexis B. Betances/Released)

A reconnaissance Marine with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon exits the Designated Impact Point during free-fall parachute training at Ie Shima Training Facility, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 29, 2018. The ARP Marines flew to a spot above a landing zone on Ie Shima Training Facility, off Okinawa’s northwest coast, before exiting a cruising MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft – from there, the Marines fell for approximately 50 seconds before deploying parachutes to land safely. 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. Alexis B. Betances/Released)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Alexis B. Betances

An MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft belonging to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced) idles atop the fight deck after landing aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 29, 2018. VMM-262 (Rein.) is the Aviation Combat Element for the 31st MEU. 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 MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft belonging to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced) idles atop the fight deck after landing aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 29, 2018. VMM-262 (Rein.) is the Aviation Combat Element for the 31st MEU. 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)

Photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish

Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, III Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general, boards the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), while underway off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 27, 2018. Smith visited the Wasp to meet Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit 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 across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall/Released)

Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, III Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general, boards the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), while underway off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 27, 2018. Smith visited the Wasp to meet Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit 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 across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall/Released)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall/

Lance Cpl. Wyatt McDonald, a flightline mechanic with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), secures the rotor blades of a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter atop the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 25, 2018. McDonald, a native of Bakersfield, California, graduated from Centennial High School in spring 2016 before enlisting in the Marine Corps in November 2016. VMM-262 (Rein.) is the Aviation Combat Element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. Marines and Sailors with the 31st MEU, comprised of a Command Element, a Ground Combat Element, an Aviation Combat Element and a Logistics Combat Element, embarked aboard the U.S. Navy vessels of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group and are currently underway. 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)

Lance Cpl. Wyatt McDonald, a flightline mechanic with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), secures the rotor blades of a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter atop the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 25, 2018. McDonald, a native of Bakersfield, California, graduated from Centennial High School in spring 2016 before enlisting in the Marine Corps in November 2016. VMM-262 (Rein.) is the Aviation Combat Element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. Marines and Sailors with the 31st MEU, comprised of a Command Element, a Ground Combat Element, an Aviation Combat Element and a Logistics Combat Element, embarked aboard the U.S. Navy vessels of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group and are currently underway. 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)

Photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish

A Sailor with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 sits inside a U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter atop the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) as the sun sets off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 25, 2018. HSC-25 performs critical support for Marine Corps and Navy amphibious operations while underway as part of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group. Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, comprised of a Command Element, a Ground Combat Element, an Aviation Combat Element and a Logistics Combat Element, embarked aboard the U.S. Navy vessels of the Wasp ARG and are currently underway. 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 Sailor with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 sits inside a U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter atop the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) as the sun sets off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 25, 2018. HSC-25 performs critical support for Marine Corps and Navy amphibious operations while underway as part of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group. Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, comprised of a Command Element, a Ground Combat Element, an Aviation Combat Element and a Logistics Combat Element, embarked aboard the U.S. Navy vessels of the Wasp ARG and are currently underway. 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)

Photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish