210202-N-FA868-1188 PHILIPPINE SEA (Feb. 2, 2021) Lance

210202-N-FA868-1188 PHILIPPINE SEA (Feb. 2, 2021) Lance Cpl. Noah Friend, from Leesburg, Va., assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), tests the lift mechanism on a personnel lift in the hangar bay of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). America, flagship of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Theodore C. Lee)