SULU SEA (June 5, 2016) – U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Alan Cook checks the names of service members of the Philippine Marine Corps as they enter a Landing Craft Air Cushion Hoovercraft to board the forward-deployed Whidbey Island Class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48).The service members are scheduled to participate in a number of classes and exercies with the Marines and Sailors aboard the Ashland in support of exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training. CARAT is a series of annual, bilateral maritime exercises between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the armed forces of nine partner nations to include Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Timor-Leste. The Ashland is assigned to the U.S. 7th Fleet.(U.S. Navy photo by Lance Cpl. Carl King Jr/. Released)