USS Nassau anchors off the east coast of Mahe Island, Seychelles, during a liberty port call June 25-28, 2010. Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and sailors assigned to the ship and Amphibious Squadron 8 participated in the liberty stop after 159 days at sea. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Maj Keith Parrella) - USS Nassau anchors off the east coast of Mahe Island, Seychelles, during a liberty port call June 25-28, 2010. Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and sailors assigned to the ship and Amphibious Squadron 8 participated in the liberty stop after 159 days at sea. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Maj Keith Parrella)

1st Platoon, Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment poses for a photo with a company of the French Army during a bilateral training exercise in Djibouti, Africa from May 25, 2010. There has been a continued effort to conduct such exercises between units of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the French Army during the 24th MEU's deployment to the Central Command area of operations. The 24th MEU is deployed with the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group as the theater reserve for Central Command. The MEU is an expeditionary force capable of execting a variety of missions from full scale combat operations to humanitarian assistance. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Sean D. Ross.) - 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment poses for a photo with a company of the French Army during a bilateral training exercise in Djibouti, Africa from May 25, 2010. There has been a continued effort to conduct such exercises between units of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the French Army during the 24th MEU's deployment to the Central Command area of operations. The 24th MEU is deployed with the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group as the theater reserve for Central Command. The MEU is an expeditionary force capable of execting a variety of missions from full scale combat operations to humanitarian assistance. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Sean D. Ross.)