SOUTH CHINA SEA (June 22, 2023) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Equipment) Airman Christopher Strasser, from Sussex, Wisconsin, prepares an EA-18G Growler from the Shadowhawks of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 for takeoff aboard the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), in the South China Sea, June 22, 2023. The primary role of EA-18G Growlers is to disrupt the ability to communicate between units in combat through the use of electronic warfare. 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 3rd Class Evan Mueller)