Airman Ryan Carpenter prepares an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the Eightballers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 for take off on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).
The vessel is undergoing an operational training period in the Pacific Ocean in preparation for future deployments.
USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) is the seventh Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the United States Navy, named for Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi.
She was commissioned on 9 December 1995. Her home port is Bremerton, Washington.
Image: U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ignacio D. Perez