PHILIPPINE SEA (June 8, 2024) Sailors assigned the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) wait on the fo’c’sle as the Higgins gets into position alongside the fleet dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204) and amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) before a replenishment-at-sea (RAS) during Valiant Shield 2024. Exercises such as Valiant Shield allow the Indo-Pacific Command Joint Forces the opportunity to integrate forces from all branches of service and with our allies to conduct precise, lethal, and overwhelming multi-axis, multi-domain effects that demonstrate the strength and versatility of the Joint Force and our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Hannah Fry)