(Third from right to right) Gunnery Sgt. Cyrus Nator, civil military officer for the 31st MEU, Navy Lt. Zachary Smith, medical planner for the 31st MEU, and Chief Petty Officer Paul Sexton, lead chief petty officer for the Health Service Support platoon, Combat Logistics Battalion 31, stand with the Mayor of Puerto Ptincesa City Edward Hagedorn and members of his staff following a meeting to discuss the 31st MEU's humantarian civil affairs projects in Palawan, Philippines, Oct. 7. For the duration of the two week Amphibious Landing Exercise throughout the island, the Marines and Sailors will undertake numerous civil improvement projects and conduct community relations visits. PHIBLEX, now in its 29th iteration, is an annually-scheduled bilateral exercise?between the U.S. and Philippine forces, aimed at increasing interoperability and strengthening a long standing relationship.