SOUTH CHINA SEA (Sept. 2, 2021) Sonar Technician (Surface) Seaman Alexis Ennis, from Ada, Ohio, participates in color guard practice aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65). Benfold is assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 71/Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force.
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Deanna Gonzales)