MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Oct. 11, 2023) Sailors assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 perform simulated search and rescue exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 11, 2023. HSC-9 is deployed aboard the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN) 78 as part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8. Gerald R. Ford is the 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 currently operating in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, at direction of the Secretary of Defense. The U.S. maintains forward-deployed, ready, and postured forces to deter aggression and support security and stability around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins)