Staff Sgt. Heath Sell, the embark chief for the 24th

Staff Sgt. Heath Sell, the embark chief for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, straps on his cranial helmet in preparation to depart the USS Iwo Jima, Dec. 1, 2012. The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit is deployed with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group in the 6th Fleet area of responsibility serving as an expeditionary crisis response force capable of a variety of missions, from full-scale combat to evacuations and humanitarian assistance. Since deploying in March, they have supported a variety of missions in the U.S. Central, Africa and European Commands, assisted the Navy in safeguarding sea lanes, and conducted various bilateral and unilateral training events in several countries in the Middle East and Africa. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Tucker S. Wolf/Released)