AV-8B Harrier, jet aircraft, assigned to Marine Attack Squadron Two-Eleven (VMA-211), embarked onboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), lands on the flight deck as a part of a deck landing qualification evolution. Essex, commanded by Capt. Brent Canady, is the lead ship of the only forward-deployed expeditionary strike group and serves as the flagship for CTF 76, the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious force commander. Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with a detachment in Sasebo, Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mark R. Alvarez/Released)