SASEBO, Japan (Feb. 20, 2024) Capt. Patrick German, commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18), explains the significance and functionality of an amphibious transport dock-class ship's vehicle stowage areas to members of Japan's House of Councillors Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense during the Committee of Foreign Affairs and Defense (House of Councillors, The National Diet of Japan) visit aboard New Orleans. New Orleans is forward deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt.j.g. Allysin C. Marsico)