ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 30, 2022) Sailors assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) deck department conduct small boat operations, March 30, 2022. The purpose of the small boat operations was to train boat officers and search and rescue teams at sea. Ford is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting flight deck certification and air wing carrier qualifications as part of the ship’s tailored basic phase prior operational deployment (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Riley McDowell)