#command element

An F-35B Lightning II lands aboard USS Wasp during training at sea. by Official U.S. Navy Page Via Flickr: PHILIPINE SEA (Jan. 19, 2019) An F-35B Lightning II belonging to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 lands aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) during training at sea, Jan. 19, 2019. Naval aviators with VMFA-121 completed a series of take-off and landings during the training to sharpen their capabilities as the fixed-wing aviation asset of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit's Aviation Combat Element - the squadron flies the Marine Corps' newest, most advanced multi-role fighter, the F-35B. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU partnering with the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premier crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. T. T. Parish/Released)190119-M-PJ332-026

An F-35B Lightning II prepares to land aboard USS Essex (LHD 2). by Official U.S. Navy Page Via Flickr: ARABIAN SEA (Jan. 9, 2019) An F-35B Lightning II assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), prepares to land aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Jan. 9, 2019. Essex is the flagship for the Essex Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 13th MEU, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. A. J. Van Fredenberg/Released) 190109-M-LQ865-1118

A Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey is prepared for takeoff while aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) by Official U.S. Navy Page Via Flickr: 190105-M-PK127-1009 ARABIAN SEA (Jan. 5, 2019) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Airman Bryan Sanchez, assigned to the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), prepares a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 166 (Reinforced), 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), for takeoff while aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Jan. 5, 2019. The Essex is the flagship for the Essex ARG and, with the embarked 13th MEU, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Francisco J. Diaz Jr./Released)

An F-35B Lightning II takes off from USS Essex (LHD 2). by Official U.S. Navy Page Via Flickr: ARABIAN GULF (Jan. 3, 2019) A Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), takes off from the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Jan. 3, 2019. Essex is the flagship for the Essex Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 13th MEU, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. A. J. Van Fredenberg/Released) 190103-M-LQ865-1035