SULU SEA (June 5, 2016) – Boatswains Mate 2nd class Lonnie Sylvester,a sailor aboard the forward-deployed Whidbey Island Class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48), guides a Philippine helicopter while conducting deck landing qualifications 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)