Civil Service Mariners (CIVMARS) aboard Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206) complete their first replenishment-at-sea (RAS) with two Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) vessels. Apart of a six-month around the world training cruise, that began in May 2024 and included 180 newly commissioned JMSDF officers, JMSDF training vessels JS Kashima (TV-3508) and guided missile destroyer JS Shimakaze (DDG 172, TV 3521), which has now been converted into a training vessel, completed its first RAS event with USNS Harvey Milk in the Virginia Capes’ (VACAPES) operating area in the Atlantic Ocean, Sept. 24. This bilateral exercise between the United States and Japan helps to improve JMSDF’s tactical capabilities and to build on the interoperability between the JMSDF and the U.S. Navy. Pictured above is an underway replenishment breakaway between JS Kashima and USNS Harvey Milk. An underway breakaway is an emergency procedure that involves quickly disengaging from a customer ship during an underway replenishment. The procedure involves retrieving all hoses, lines, and cables as quickly as possible. (U.S. Navy photo by LaShawn Sykes)