SOUTH CHINA SEA (May 6, 2024) Sailors attach a sling to the bottom of an EC-225 Super Puma helicopter 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)