A Marine serving with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion,

A Marine serving with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, fast ropes from a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter during a training exercise here, Oct. 9, 2013. Fast roping allows Marines to quickly enter an area without the need for a landing zone. The technique is often employed during raids, enabling forces to rapidly secure an objective. The battalion is scheduled to deploy next spring as the battalion landing team for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, Japan. Kilo Co. is currently assigned as the helicopter element within the battalion landing team.