170317-N-GR361-007 OKINAWA, Japan (March 17, 2017) Ensign Vanessa Nicolle speaks to Sunao Gushiken, a reporter for Japanese national newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, during a media tour aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48). Ashland, part of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), is on a routine patrol, operating in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to enhance partnerships and be a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kaleb R. Staples/Released)