200722-N-DL524-1112 PHILIPPINE SEA (July 22, 2020) Aviation Ordnance Airman Destiny Mroz, from Utica, New York, assigned to the Diamondbacks of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102, conducts pre-flight checks on an F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to the "Royal Maces" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27, on the flight deck of the Navy�s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, as well as the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Erica Bechard/Released)