Aviation Structural Mechanic Airman Elijah Crowder, from Houston, reads an original poem on the aft mess decks aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), during an open-mic night hosted by the Morale, Welfare and Recreation committee in the South China Sea, July 7, 2023. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Charlotte Dudenhoeffer)