171112-N-KB563-1115
WESTERN PACIFIC (Nov. 12, 2017) The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Takanami-class destroyer JS Makinami (DD 112), front, and the Murasame-class destroyer JS Inazuma (DD 105), second, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), third, and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), rear, transit the western Pacific Ocean. The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Strike Groups are underway and conducting operations in international waters as part of a three-carrier strike force exercise. The U.S. Navy has patrolled the Indo-Asia Pacific region routinely for more than 70 years promoting regional security, stability and prosperity. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael Russell/Released)