Royal Navy Chief Callum Gardner directs an F/A-18 Hornet onto a catapult on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), marking the first strike operations of 2015 in the Arabian Gulf.
Carl Vinson is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, strike operations in Iraq and Syria as directed, maritime security operations, and theater security cooperation efforts in the region.
Image: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alex King