PHILIPPINE SEA (June 13, 2023) Operations Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Ignacio, from Ventura, California, and Aerographer’s Mate Airman Melvin Thimlar, from Middlebury, Indiana, stand watch on vulture’s row aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), as it comes alongside the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204) in the Philippine Sea. Commander, Task Force 73 (CTF-73) in coordination with Military Sealift Command Far East (MSC FE) refuels and resupplies deployed naval forces, along with regional allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. 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. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Louis Thompson Staats IV)