Gunnery Sgt. Carl Melrose of Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment provides crucial instructions before embarking aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1).

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (Jul. 05, 2004) Gunnery Sgt. Carl Melrose of Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment provides crucial instructions before embarking aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1), during final preparations before Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2004. RIMPAC is the largest international maritime exercise in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. This years exercise includes seven participating nations; Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom and United States. RIMPAC is intended to enhance the tactical proficiency of participating units in a wide array of combined operations at sea, while enhancing stability in the Pacific Rim region. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class David A. Levy For more information go to: http://www.cpf.navy.mil/RIMPAC2004/ File# 040705-N-6811L-095