160727-N-WA993-063 YOKOSUKA, Japan (June 27, 2016)

160727-N-WA993-063 YOKOSUKA, Japan (June 27, 2016) – Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class Nathan Brant, from Muskegon, Michigan, sprays black paint onto a .50 caliber gun mount on the starboard catwalk as part of preventative maintenance of the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). “Maintaining our equipment plays a big part in the basic protection of our crew,” said Brant. “If our equipment does not work, we become easy targets.” Ronald Reagan provides a combat-ready force, which protects and defends the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class James Lee/Released)