200530-N-ZQ950-1038

PHILIPPINE SEA (May 30, 2020) Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, Vice Adm. William R. Merz speaks with Aviation Mechanic Airman Michael Gray from Las Vegas, assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 in the hangar bay of the Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). During the visit, Merz talked with Sailors about the health of the force and observed the ship’s operational readiness. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, as well as the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.