More than 200 Sailors and Marines aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) participated in a Boston Strong 5K run on the ship's flight deck April 15.

The ship held the event, along with a flight deck photo of Sailors and Marines in a Boston Strong ribbon formation, in remembrance of the fifth anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing.

One Iwo Jima Sailor was a short distance away when the blasts occurred on Boylston Street.

"The 2013 marathon was my second-ever marathon," said Ensign Briana Eaton of York, Maine. "We were about a block away when the bombing began. I had already finished the race and was on the way to the train station and saw smoke and people everywhere just screaming. It was so surreal and people had no idea what was happening. As the days passed, it was really hard to see everything that was going on and see what the city was going
through."

Eaton felt it was important to honor those whose lives were changed forever on that fateful day.

"I really think an event like this helps bring the ship together," said Eaton. "Once I heard the ship was doing this, I immediately wanted to sign up. My mom is actually doing this year's run in Boston as well. Even though I can't be there, it feels good to do this run just to pay my respects."

Iwo Jima, homeported in Mayport, Florida, is on a regularly scheduled deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners, and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region.

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group embarks the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit and includes Iwo Jima, the transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), Fleet Surgical Team 4 and 8, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28, Tactical Air Control Squadron 22, components of Naval Beach Group 2 and the embarked staff of commander, Amphibious Squadron 4.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), visit www.navy.mil/.