Marines board and secure vessel at sea during VBSS exercise

An MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft belonging to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced) prepares to land during a simulated visit, board, search and seizure exercise, Philippine Sea, Feb. 6, 2019. During the simulated VBSS, Marines with FRP rehearsed seizing and securing a simulated hostile vessel using speed and decisive action to gain control of the ship’s bridge, engine room and quarters. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU partnering with the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premier crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region.