170908-N-ME988-0024 TOULON, France (Sept. 8, 2017) Cmdr. Timothy Carter, left, commanding officer of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), greets Simon Hankinson, U.S. consul general in Marseille, France, during a reception on the ship’s flight deck. The reception provided an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the U.S. and France. Carter Hall is deployed with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group to support maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Darren M. Moore/Released)