STOCKHOLM (June 8, 2022) Retail Services Specialist 3rd Class Dennis Parker, left, from Elizabeth City, N.C., and Yeoman Seaman Ashley Mahavier, from Pleasanton, Texas, man the .50-caliber machine gun as part of the small craft actions team aboard the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) during exercise BALTOPS22. BALTOPS22 is the premier maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region. The exercise, led by the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and executed by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, provides a unique training opportunity to strengthen combined response capabilities critical to preserving freedom of navigation and security in the Baltic Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jacob Sippel)