Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Fox, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton’s (WMSL 752) operation’s officer, speaks with a Japan Coast Guard servicemember sailing aboard the Stratton as the U.S., Japan and Philippine Coast Guards conduct combined operations in the South China Sea, June 5, 2023. Stratton’s crew are participating in the first trilateral engagements between the sea services while deployed to the Western Pacific to operate with regional allies and partner nations, reinforcing a rules-based order and maritime governance to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Matt Masaschi)