U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (Sept. 8, 2017) - An MH-60S Sea Hawk prepares to insert the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Maritime Raid Force fast ropes onto USS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB 3) to perform a visit, board, search, and seizure mission during Alligator Dagger 2017. VBSSs are conducted to capture and control a suspected enemy vessel in order to combat terrorism, piracy and smuggling operations on the sea. Available expeditionary Navy/Marine Corps forces stand ready aboard ships to assure allies, deter potential adversaries and provide persistent U.S. presence. Alligator Dagger provides opportunity to enhance capabilities in critical mission sets inherent to the U.S. Navy-Marine Corps team.(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristina Young/Released)
<dl><dd>Unit: Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade</dd>
<dd>DVIDS Tags: Pearl Harbor; CENTCOM; MARCENT; USMC; MEU; VBSS; RHIB; 15th MEU; ABH; Wildcards; amphibious assault ship; amphibious ready group; (HSC) 23; #VMM161; USNAVCENT; air department; 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit; Navy; MH-60S Sea Hawk; people; Sailors; amphibious dock landing ship; helicopter; Marine Expeditionary Unit; Marines; ARG; U.S. Navy; 5th Fleet; aviation; deployment; CH-53E Super Stallion; USS Pearl Harbor; LSD 52; area of operations; #U.S.Navy; CPR 3; COMPHIBRON 3; 5th Fleet Area of Operations; aoo; marine medium tiltrotor; LSD52; USS San Diego; Puller; #LPD22; AMA; visit board search and seizure; Sea Combat Squadron; VMM 161; #CPR3; Lewis B. Puller; #LHA6; LPD 22; #15thMEU; #BlueGreenTeam; Alligator Dagger; America Amphibious Ready Group; Alligator Dagger 2017; #USSAmerica; America ARG; #AARG; AMA ARG; #AMAARG; ESB 3; USS Lewis B. Puller; #AlligatorDagger17; commander amphibious squadron; #amphibiousassaultship; #COMPHIBRON3; #commanderamphibioussquadron; #MarineExpeditionaryUnit; #AmericaARG; #AmphibiousReadyGroup; #MarineMediumTiltrotorSquadron; #5thFleet; #AreaOfOperations; Task Force 51/5; TF515; Integrated Naval Amphibious Forces; #ForceEmployment; #PowerProjection; AlligatorDagger2017; #TaskForce51/5; #IntegratedNavalAmphibiousForces; #AlligatorDagger; #USSLewisB.Puller; #USSPearlHarbor; #ESB3; #USSSanDiego; AlligatorDagger 17; Marine Recon Force</dd></dl>
Petty Officer 2nd Class Kristina Young
Taken on 8 September 2017
<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://www.dvidshub.net/image/3751901/15th-meu-marines-assigned-uss-pearl-harbor-perform-vbss-aboard-lewis-b-puller">https://www.dvidshub.net/image/3751901/15th-meu-marines-assigned-uss-pearl-harbor-perform-vbss-aboard-lewis-b-puller</a>