Marines move away from an SA-330 Puma helicopter during a vertical replenishment aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) with the combat stores ship USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS 3).

SOUTH CHINA SEA (Feb. 29, 2008) Marines move away from an SA-330 Puma helicopter during a vertical replenishment aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) with the Military Sealift Command combat stores ship USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS 3). The Essex Expeditionary Strike Group, lead by the Essex, is participating in Balikatan (BK 08), a bilateral exercise between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States. During BK-08, military service members from the United States and the Republic of the Philippines work together to improve maritime security humanitarian assistance and disaster relief programs. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Didier File# 080229-N-6936D-042