U.S. Marine Corps Col. John Ostrowski, left, the officer in charge of the III Marine Expeditionary Force's humanitarian assistance survey team (HAST), holds a Thai boy after helping him into a vehicle while conducting an assessment in Lop Buri, Thailand, Oct. 18, 2011. The HAST assessed flood damage in Thailand to determine what assistance U.S. forces could provide to support the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Heavier-than-usual rains during the monsoon season flooded 61 of Thailand's 77 provinces, affecting 8.2 million people. The Marines were assessing the region in order to develop a plan for a deployment of humanitarian aid and disaster relief.