170811-N-DL434-070 CORAL SEA (Aug. 11, 2017) Sailors assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and Marines assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) prepare to launch combat rubber raiding craft from the ship’s well deck as part of a certification exercise (CERTEX). Bonhomme Richard, flagship of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, is supporting a CERTEX that will evaluate the 31st MEU on crisis response operations for a number of potential contingencies. CERTEX, taking place off the coast of and within Australia’s Shoalwater Bay Training Area, will test the MEU’s ability to conduct all of its core missions such as stability operations, non-combatant evacuation and disaster relief. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Gavin Shields/Released)