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Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday, center, receives honors from sideboys as he comes aboard Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18). Charleston, part of Destroyer Squadron 7, is on a rotational deployment operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operation to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.