13th MEU USS Anchorage CARAT/MAREX Sri Lanka Amphibious Landing

by Sgt. Kevin Rivas

22 January 2023 MULLIKULAM, SRI LANKA -- U.S. Navy landing craft, air cushion pilots assigned to Assault Craft Unit 5, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, approach the beach landing site during an amphibious landing for Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training/Marine Exercise Sri Lanka 2023 in Mullikulam, Jan. 22. CARAT/MAREX Sri Lanka is a bilateral exercise between Sri Lanka and the United States designed to promote regional security cooperation, practice humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and strengthen maritime understanding, partnerships, and interoperability. In its 28th year, the CARAT series is comprised of multinational exercises, designed to enhance U.S. and partner forces’ abilities to operate together in response to traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Kevin G. Rivas)