PHILIPPINE SEA (July 15, 2021) Mineman 2nd Class Hunter Auslander, right, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., receives a promotion letter from Cmdr. Joseph Burgon, from Cottonwood, Calif., aboard Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18), July 15. Charleston, part of Destroyer Squadron Seven, is on a rotational deployment, operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with partners and serves as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Michael Critelli)
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