ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 11, 2023) Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class Luis Ortiz, from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, assigned to the "Bear Aces" of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 124, maintains an E2-D Hawkeye in the hangar bay of the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in the Atlantic Ocean, May 11, 2023. VAW-124 is deployed aboard Gerald R. Ford as part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8. Gerald R. Ford is the U.S. Navy's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, representing a generational leap in the U.S. Navy's capacity to project power on a global scale. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by the U.S. 6th Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nolan Pennington)