170301-M-EU132-040 NORFOLK (March 1, 2017) Sailors and Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) man the rails of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) as the ship prepares to depart Naval Station Norfolk for a deployment. The 24th MEU will operate in Europe and the Middle East in the coming months providing crisis response and contingency support for combatant commanders, including maritime security operations, humanitarian assistance, and advance force operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Autmn Bobby/Released)