Marines assigned to Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 3/2,

Marines assigned to Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 3/2, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), load main packs into their Light Armored Vehicle during an alert status drill in the well deck of USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), Jan. 27, 2013. The MEU and Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 4 are conducting PHIBRON-MEU Integration in preparation for their Composite Training Unit Exercise, the final phase of a six-month pre-deployment training program. The 26th MEU operates continuously across the globe, providing the president and unified combatant commanders with a forward-deployed, sea-based quick reaction force. The MEU is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force capable of conducting amphibious operations, crisis response and limited contingency operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Christopher Q. Stone/Released)