171020-M-RX597-014 PACIFIC OCEAN (Oct. 20, 2017) Sailors and Marines walk shoulder to shoulder across the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) to find and remove foreign objects and debris prior to the commencement of flight operations during Exercise Dawn Blitz, Oct. 20, 2017. Dawn Blitz is a scenario-driven amphibious exercise conducted between Expeditionary Strike Group 3 and 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade, testing their ability to conduct amphibious operations in response to global crises and to project power ashore as part of a Navy-Marine Corps team. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Roderick Jacquote/Released)