A sailor signals to an MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (Reinforced), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, as part of 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and in support of Joint Task Force 505, as it takes off of the flight deck here, Nov. 22. The landing marked the first time an MV-22B has landed on the deck of the USS Ashland. Elements of the 31st MEU are deploying at the request of the Government of the Philippines and in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development. The 31st MEU is ideally suited for humanitarian assistance operations, with aviation and amphibious platforms capable of rapidly delivering relief supplies, medical assistance, and transportation and engineer equipment to affected areas that are inaccessible by other means. U.S. forces have been delivering relief supplies provided by USAID since the start of Operation Damayan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by GySgt Ismael Pena/Released)