181011-M-MA011-247 SOUTH CHINA SEA (Oct. 11, 2018) Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon prepare to land aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) during Special Patrol Insertion and Extraction (SPIE) training, underway in the South China Sea, Oct. 11, 2018. SPIE rigging allows Marines to enter and exit tactical landing zones that are inaccessible to helicopters during amphibious operations. The Seahawk belongs to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kealii De Los Santos/Released)