1A civilian mariner conducts flight operations onboard

1A civilian mariner conducts flight operations onboard the flight deck of the Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim) USS Ponce (AFSB(I) 15). Formerly designated as an amphibious transport dock (LPD), Ponce was recently converted and reclassified to fulfill a longstanding U.S. Central Command request for an Afloat Forward Staging Base to be forward deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Louis Rojas/Released)