180409-M-OP674-009 PACIFIC OCEAN (April 9, 2017) Lt. Nick Crossland, dental officer for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), numbs a Marine’s mouth with Novocain in preparation for oral surgery aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) while underway in the Pacific Ocean, April 9, 2018. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Wasp have the ability to perform various medical and dental procedures while underway. As the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, the 31st MEU provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide range of military operations throughout the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Amy Phan/Released)