PHILIPPINE SEA (Feb. 12, 2022) Lt. jg. Chris McCarthy, from New York, assigned to the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), checks simulated evacuees into life-boat muster during a non-combatant evacuation operations drill. America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Cole Pursley)