120713-M-UY543-033

Marines with Company G., Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, launch a volley of mortars for suppression during a live-fire exercise here, July 13. Following the conclusion of Exercise Hamel 2012, the Marines of Co. G. engaged in movement to contact drills, using what they learned from living in a woodland environment for the past three weeks. Exercise Hamel 2012 is a multi-national training evolution between the U.S. Marine Corps, Australian Army and New Zealand Army, aimed at certifying the Australian 1st Brigade for operational deployment. The 31st MEU is the only continuously forward-deployed MEU and is the nation’s force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific region.