College students from Okinawa, Japan listen to a presentation from Petty Officer 1st Class Andres Chaves, a boatswain’s mate, in the well deck of the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) in the Pacific Ocean, March 25, 2017. College students from Okinawa International University, Ryukyu University and Toyo Medical Community College toured the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) as part of a military exchange experience during the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s 17.1 Spring Patrol of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Education programs, such as this military exchange experience, increase cooperation, trust and understanding between the U.S. military and the Okinawan community. As the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward deployed unit, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s air-ground-logistics team provides a flexible force, ready to perform a wide range of military operations, from limited combat to humanitarian assistance operations, throughout the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Tiffany Edwards/Released)