After the vessel made port, ship commander Capt. Buzz Donnelly said in a Navy statement, "The crew of Ronald Reagan, as well as the carrier strike group, had the opportunity to accomplish a lot this patrol," according to Stars and Stripes.
"Any opportunity we have to exercise with our allies enhances our interoperability and makes us more effective overall in maintaining the security and stability in this region," he said, Naval Today reports.
Along with aircraft from Carrier Wing 5 and from other vessels, the Reagan departed Yokosuka on May 16, joining Japanese forces and its sister ship the USS Carl Vinson near the Korean Peninsula weeks later.
These maneuvers were the largest show of naval force seen since North Korea began intensifying its weapons testing activity over the last few months.
The Reagan was also a central factor in July’s Talisman Saber war games, a biennial drill the US carries out with Australia that brought more than 200 aircraft, 26 ships including the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, and 33,000 Australian and US personnel to the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Central Queensland.
Through a series of land, air and sea scenarios, Talisman Saber is designed to expand interoperability between the US and Australian militaries.
During summer operations more than 60 midshipmen were aboard the Reagan in two groups as part of their “summer cruise,” which is meant to acclimate them to life on the ship before commissioning as lieutenants in the Marine Corps or ensigns in the US Navy.
Some 259 sailors on the Reagan were promoted through the advancement exam during the patrol, with 40 others advancing through the Meritorious Advancement Program as well.
Former midshipman and Strike Fighter Squadron 2 pilot Lt. Eric Hinz said in the statement, "Being a midshipman on a cruise gives you that experience of peeking through the shades and seeing what the future really does have in store for you."
The crew aboard the Reagan scattered the ashes of World War II veteran Julius "Harry" Frey and his wife in early July for a burial at sea. Frey served aboard the USS Lexington in 1942 during the Battle of the Coral Sea. The ashes were scattered at the site of the Lexington’s sinking off the northeast coast of Australia.
