PHILIPPINE SEA (April 1, 2021) The Chief Petty Officer Mess assembles aboard the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) in celebration of the Navy chief's 128th birthday. As the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed fleet, U.S. 7th Fleet employs 50-70 ships and submarines across the western Pacific and Indian oceans. U.S. 7th Fleet routinely operates and interacts with 35 maritime nations while conducting missions to preserve and protect a free and open Indo-Pacific Region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Reymundo A. Villegas III)