U.S. Marine Maj. Matthew Mallalieu, the communication

U.S. Marine Maj. Matthew Mallalieu, the communication strategy and operations officer with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Southern Command, is given water by Mayor de Infantería de Marina Colombiano (Colombian Marine Maj.) Edgar Hernando Jaimes Gomez in Coveñas, Colombia, Oct. 2, 2019. A light weight water purification system was used to show members of the media the capability to turn salt water into potable water during a disaster relief situation. U.S. and Colombian Marines have begun a weeklong humanitarian assistance and disaster relief rehearsal in Coveñas, which is on Colombia's Caribbean coast. The exercise will test and strengthen the interoperability and responsiveness between these countries, preparing for real-world disaster scenarios in the region. The task force are conducting training and engineering projects hand-in-hand with partner nation military members in Latin America and the Caribbean during their deployment to the region, which coincides with hurricane season. Mallalieu is a native of Flowery Branch, Georgia. Jaimes is a native of Barichara, Colombia. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Stanley Moy)