MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Dec. 18, 2023) Sage, a four-year-old female Labrador retriever, visits the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) while underway in the Mediterranean Sea, Dec. 18, 2023. Sage is deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) through the non-profit Mutts with a Mission. 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 Jordan Klineizquierdo)