190226-N-HS117-1081 SOUTH CHINA SEA (Feb. 26, 2019) Sailors prepare an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 97 to launch from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the South China Sea, Feb. 26, 2019. John C. Stennis is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jeffery L. Southerland/Released)