A U.S. Marine with Command Element, 13th Marine

A U.S. Marine with Command Element, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), plays with his child after returning from their successful, eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, Mediterranean, and Horn of Africa regions, Feb. 28, 2019. Throughout deployment, the Navy's Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th MEU team participated in a variety of exercises with partners throughout the Indo-Pacific, Mediterranean, and Middle East regions, which strengthened partnerships and increased combat readiness, amphibious and crisis-response capabilities, and interoperability between U.S. and partner nation forces. Simultaneously, the Navy/Marine Corps force supported Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Freedom's Sentinel. In addition, the end of this deployment is uniquely significant, as it was the inaugural combat deployment of the Marine Corps F-35B, Lightning II. (U.S Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Danny Gonzalez/Released)