U.S. Marines disembark the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) during a ship-to-shore combat rubber raid craft offload exercise while underway in the South China Sea on Oct. 14, 2009. The Marines are assigned to Fox Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. The Harpers Ferry, the amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are participating in Amphibious Landing Exercise 2009, a bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Philippine armed forces designed to improve interoperability, increase readiness and continue professional relationships.