PACIFIC OCEAN (May 12, 2022) Capt. Fred Goldhammer, left, commanding officer of the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), explains daily operations to an officer in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in the pilot house during a formation exercise with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Teruzuki (DD-116) and the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54). The U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force routinely conduct naval exercises together, strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region. 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. This photo has been edited for security purposes. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class George Cardenas)