31st MEU Marines hone ship security tactics aboard Wasp [Image 7 of 12]

SOUTH CHINA SEA

09.27.2018

Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Ernest Hagewood 

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit       

A Marine scout sniper with Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, aims an M107 .50-caliber special operations sniper rifle aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) during a defense of the amphibious task force drill, underway in the South China Sea, Sept. 27, 2018. During the training, Marines with BLT 2/5 and crewmen with the Wasp rehearsed ship security using a variety of mounted and dismounted small-arms and heavy weapons. As part of the DATF-D, the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit team assumed a security posture to simulate travelling through potentially dangerous waters. Wasp, flagship of the Wasp ARG, with embarked 31st MEU, is operating in the Indo-Pacific region to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. BLT 2/5 is the Ground Combat Element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, currently underway aboard the Wasp during a regularly-scheduled patrol of the Indo-Pacific region. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. E. V. Hagewood/Released)

• Date Taken: 09.27.2018
• Date Posted: 09.28.2018 00:43
• Photo ID: 4779520
• VIRIN: 180927-M-OJ878-129
• Resolution: 3456x2304
• Size: 2.46 MB
• Location: SOUTH CHINA SEA