Lance Cpl. Jesse R. Watson, a 21-year-old messman for

Lance Cpl. Jesse R. Watson, a 21-year-old messman for Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and a native of Waldorf, Md., assembles a two-man tent here Aug. 29. Advance parties of Marines and Sailors are arriving in preparation of Exercise Koolendong 2013 where the 31st MEU will move a battalion-sized force more than 300 miles inland to conduct a live-fire training exercise. Also participating in the exercise is the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin and soldiers of the Royal Australian Army. The exercise also re-enforces why the 31st MEU is the “force of choice” for the Asia-Pacific region. The 31st MEU brings what it needs to sustain itself to accomplish the mission or to pave the way for follow-on forces. The size and composition of the 31st MEU makes it well suited for amphibious operations, which includes raids, assaults, evacuations and humanitarian assistance operations.