Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Airman Mark Armstrong, from St. Croix, Virgin Islands, signals for the arresting gear after an F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to the Diamondbacks of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102, lands on the flight deck of the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), in the Philippine Sea, Nov. 8. The Diamondbacks conduct carrier-based air strikes and strike force escort missions, as well as ship, battle group, and intelligence collection operations. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Natasha ChevalierLosada)