150523-N-EH855-194 WATERS SOUTH OF JAPAN (May 23, 2015)

150523-N-EH855-194 WATERS SOUTH OF JAPAN (May 23, 2015) An F/A-18E Super Hornet from the "Dambusters" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195 prepares to launch from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, are on patrol in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. George Washington will conduct a hull-swap with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) later this year after serving seven years as the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Yokosuka, Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Bryan Mai/Released)