PHILIPPINE SEA (JUNE 8, 2024) Rear Adm. Greg Newkirk, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 and Task Force 70, salutes sideboys aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG 62) as he prepares to depart the ship. Newkirk visited the ship during Valiant Shield 2024. Exercises such as Valiant Shield allow the Indo-Pacific Command Joint Forces the opportunity to integrate forces from all branches of service and with our allies to conduct precise, lethal, and overwhelming multi-axis, multi-domain effects that demonstrate the strength and versatility of the Joint Force and our commitment to a free and open Indo- Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ange Olivier Clement)