PHILIPPINE SEA (June 12, 2024) Sailors stand by as an H-60 helicopter transporting Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Rear Adm. Kazushi Yokota, commander of Escort Flotilla 3, and other JMSDF leaders departs from the flight deck aboard the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), after a visit to the ship during Valiant Shield 2024 in the Philippine Sea, June 12, 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 Eric Stanton)