Sailors maneuver a Humvee of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit as it is loaded onto the flight deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49). Due to impending typhoon Megi, the USS Essex (LHD 2), the USS Denver (LPD 9), the USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) with the 31st MEU aboard departed Subic Bay days ago. Super Typhoon Megi, a Category 5 storm, made landfall in the northern Luzon area of the Philippines on Sunday. The ESX ARG and 31st MEU were in the Philippines participating in the annual Amphibious Landing Exercise. PHIBLEX is a regularly-scheduled exercise focusing on the interoperability of the service members of the armed forces of the Philippines and U.S. military personnel. The exercise provides bilateral training between the two military forces to maintain readiness, improve interoperability, security assistance and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training.