180710-N-AT135-056 PACIFIC OCEAN (July 10, 2018) Sailors assigned to the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) and Marines assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (13th MEU) man the rails on the flight deck while departing Naval Base San Diego during a scheduled deployment of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th MEU. The Essex ARG/MEU team is a strong, flexible, responsive, and consistent force capable of maneuver warfare across all domains; it is equipped and scalable to respond to any crisis from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to contingency operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew Freeman/Released)