USS Comstock, Philippine Coast Guard VBSS teams complete bilateral embarks in South China Sea

U.S. Navy Sailors, assigned to the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45), maneuver a rigid-hull inflatable boat toward the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Gabriela Silang (PCG OPV 8301) as part of a Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) team exchange during Exercise Balikatan 25, April 29, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force, and demonstrate our commitment to regional security and stability. (U.S. Navy photo by Electronics Technician 2nd Class Brittaney Walkley)