SOUTH CHINA SEA (May 1, 2024) Sailors heave a line on the main deck aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) during a replenishment-at-sea with the Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194), in vicinity of South China Sea, May 1. USINDOPACOM forces perform operations in and around critical sea passages and trade thoroughfares to deter threats that create regional instability and impinge on the free flow of goods, people, and ideas. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class John A. Miller)