Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuel) 3rd Class Dylen Rutledge, from Covington, Georgia, assigned to the world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) air department, collects a fuel sample during a refueling-at-sea with USNS Laramie (T-AO 203), Sept. 3, 2023. Gerald R. Ford is the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, representing a generational leap in the U.S. Navy’s capacity to project power on a global scale. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.