A Marine with 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force guards a landing site while naval vessels maneuver off the coast of Onslow Beach, N.C., in support of Exercise Bold Alligator 14 the morning of Nov. 4, 2014. The reconnaissance Marines secured a beachhead for the assault amphibious vehicles of 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, which landed shortly after. The training exercise was one of many ongoing operations taking part during Bold Alligator 14, a scenario-driven event designed to test the Navy-Marine Corps team’s ability to conduct multifaceted operations from a base of support at sea. Reconnaissance Marines on the beach tested their ability to send back vital information to commanders off the coast, painting a picture of the landing zone and any enemy activity inland. Working off of their real-time intelligence, commanders then organized a larger beach landing to simulate the type of operation that could be used to support a Marine Air Ground Task Force’s operations ashore with follow-on logistical and reinforcing units in a forward-deployed environment.