Seaman Chris Smith, assigned to Beachmaster Unit 1,

Seaman Chris Smith, assigned to Beachmaster Unit 1, directs a Humvee as it departs Landing Craft Utility 1627. The LCU is transporting elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ashore from the amphibious assault ship USS Essex. Essex is participating in Cobra Gold 2008, a joint military exercise sponsored by the United States and Thailand designed to enhance interoperability between joint U.S. forces and the combined forces of the Thai, Singaporean, Japanese and Indonesian militaries.