MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Nov. 24, 2023) Ensign Christian Baran, from Baltimore, Maryland, uses a stadimeter on the bridge of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) as the ship pulls alongside the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Medgar Evers (T-AKE 13) for a replenishment-at-sea, Nov. 24, 2023. Paul Ignatius is part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and is currently operating in the Mediterranean Sea, at the 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 1st Class Zac Shea)