Cpl. Cristian Pichardo, a rifleman with Alpha Company,

Cpl. Cristian Pichardo, a rifleman with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, applies camouflage paint to his face prior to conducting a simulated raid of a town at the Central Training Area, Okinawa, Japan, on Dec. 9, 2019. The 31st MEU is currently preparing for deployment through MEUEX, a two-week evolution that prepares the Marine Air-Ground Task Force for amphibious operations launched from naval vessels. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps' only continuously forward-deployed MEU, 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. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew R. Bray)