170118-N-TH560-100 SASEBO, Japan (Jan. 18, 2017) Capt. Jeffrey Ward, center, the commanding officer of the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), discusses the ship’s operational capabilities to Sunao Gushiken, right, a journalist for the Japanese newspaper “The Asahi Shimbun”. Bonhomme Richard, forward-deployed to Sasebo, Japan, is serving forward to provide a rapid-response capability in the event of a regional contingency or natural disaster. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeanette Mullinax/Released)