SOUTH CHINA SEA (Sept. 24, 2021) The U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) steams through international waters. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Askia Collins)