The USS Essex, anchored in the Gulf of Thailand, May 8, 2008, stands ready to assist the the people of Burma, where a cyclone and tidal wave struck the nation, killing thousands of people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. The Navy is dispatching helicopters from the ship to a staging area in Thailand, where they will be able to reach Burma with relief supplies within hours. Essex is equipped with 23 helicopters and five amphibious landing craft, and carries 1,800 Marines. U.S. Navy photograph by Seaman Kari R. Bergman