RILEY XANTEN II

1st class petty officers of the USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), lead a moment of silence during a memorial ceremony in remembrance of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the subsequent decades of war that followed while underway during exercise UNITAS LXIII, off the coast of Brazil, Sept. 11, 2022. The ceremony recognized those who were lost on 9/11 and afforded the service members time to reflect on their service and patriotism. UNITAS, which is Latin for ‘unity,’ trains forces from across the globe in South America to conduct joint maritime operations through the execution of anti-surface, anti-submarine, anti-air, amphibious, and electronic warfare operations that enhance warfighting proficiency and increase interoperability among participating naval and marine forces. The exercise builds, sustains, and sharpens partnerships in the region while exchanging military proficiencies across the 19 participating nations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Maj. Jeremy Wheeler)