NORTH SEA (Oct. 1, 2020) 617 Squadron Commanding Officer CDR Mark Sparrow and Senior National Representative to the Carrier Strike Group Col. Simon Doran talk with the Honorable Kenneth Braithwaite, Secretary of the Navy, while he visited Her Majesty's Ship Queen Elizabeth at sea off the coast of Flamborough, United Kingdom. Braithwaite said "alliances, partnerships, interoperability, and most especially inter-changeability are imperative. Once again they are as important today as they were 75 years ago during World War II, On a daily basis, our coalition forces come together to defend freedom, deter war and maintain the rules which allow for a free and open international order. While the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps will always maintain a forward presence to help provide global security and stability, the interoperability as we celebrate today with such a close ally as the United Kingdom is key to ensuring future success.” (U.S. Marine Corps photo by 1st Lt. Zachary Bodner)