The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), with

The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), with embarked Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, sails through the Suez Canal, June 21, 2015. The 24th MEU and Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group transited through the canal, a 120-mile long waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, and entered the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. The 24th MEU is deployed on the ships of the Iwo Jima ARG in support of U.S. national security interests in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Austin A. Lewis)