ADRIATIC SEA (Sept. 6, 2023) Lt. Bryan Goodman, left, from Wellington, Florida, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 William Sum, from Panorama City, California, both assigned to the air department of the world's largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), signal to launch an E-2D Hawkeye attached to the "Bear Aces" of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 124 during flight operations in the Adriatic Sea, Sept. 6, 2023. VAW-124 is deployed aboard CVN 78 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 U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins)