160519-N-YB023-214 ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 19, 2016) - Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 2nd Class Freddrick Thompson, from Atlanta, salutes the pilot of an F/A-18E Super Hornet from the Gladiators of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 before it launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). Washington, homeported in Norfolk, is underway conducting carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Clemente A. Lynch/Released)