U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Kassandra Alvarez

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Kassandra Alvarez ground guides a U.S. Marine Corps M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank into a formation inside the cargo hold of the USS Ashland at the Gwangyang Port, Republic of Korea May 1 during exercise Freedom Banner 2014. Throughout the on-load two 427 ton cranes loaded six M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks and five Humvees onto the ship destined for Pohang, Republic of Korea, where they will support amphibious assault exercise Ssang Yong 2014, which is a component of Marine Expeditionary Force Exercise 2014. After the tanks were loaded into the hull the were freed of the crane wiring and ground guided into an organized formation that allowed space for more follow on vehicles and rapid deployment off the ship when they arrive in Pohang. Alvarez is a boatswain’s mate with the USS Ashland. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Matt Myers/RELEASED)