Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31ST

Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31ST MEU) load up in the back of a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter during flight operations aboard the only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). The Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), is participating in a certification exercise. The evaluated event determines if the 31st MEU is capable of doing certain missions such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations or non-combatant evacuation operations with the ARG.