SOUTH CHINA SEA (May 6, 2024) Boatswain�s Mate 1st Class Carlos Medina, a native of Puerto Rico, organizes slings and cargo nets on the flight deck aboard the amphibious dock landing ship, USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), during a vertical replenishment as a part of Exercise Balikatan 24 May 4, 2024. BK 24 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sang Kim)