Staff Sgt. Mathew Tippett, a scout sniper with Scout

Staff Sgt. Mathew Tippett, a scout sniper with Scout Sniper Platoon, Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, simulates a test fire over the catwalk of the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), during a vessel Visit, Board, Search and Seizure exercise in the Pacific Ocean, March 17, 2017. 31st MEU conducts VBSS as a part of the 31st MEU’s 17.1 Spring Patrol of the Asia-Pacific region. As the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward deployed unit, the 31st MEU’s air-ground-logistics team provides a flexible force, ready to perform a wide range of military operations, from limited scale combat to humanitarian assistance operations, throughout the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jona R. Meme/Released)