Boatswain''s Mate Seaman Natalie Florez from Las Cruces, New Mexico, controls the speed of the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) during routine operations in the South China Sea, July 15, 2024. As the 7th Fleet flagship, Blue Ridge is the oldest operational ship in the Navy and routinely operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Damian Cook)