PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 2, 2020) Lt. Rodney Wagstaff, from Slidell, La., signals an F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to the "Royal Maces" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27, to launch from 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)