HSC-12 prepares to take off in an MH-60S

Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 3rd Class Jacob Gateman, from Vashon Island, Washington, assigned to the Golden Falcons of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12, inspects an M240D machine gun on an MH-60S Seahawk on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), while underway in the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 13, 2024. George Washington is 7th Fleet’s premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States’ commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, while operating alongside Allies and partners across the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Geoffrey L. Ottinger)