190218-N-AT135-1290 PEARL HARBOR (Feb. 18, 2019) F-35B Lightning II aircraft sit on the flight deck while Sailors and Marines prepare to man the rails of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) as it pulls into Pearl Harbor during a deployment of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The Essex ARG/MEU team is a strong and flexible force equipped and scalable to respond to any crisis ranging from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to contingency operations. The Essex ARG and 13th MEU is the first continental United States Navy/Marine Corps team to deploy with the F-35B. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew Freeman/Released)