A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopter takes off from the flight deck.
A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopter assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 takes off from the flight deck of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) on Nov. 22, 2010. The Essex is part of the permanently forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group underway in the western Pacific Ocean.