Leesville native loads a machine gun during a live-fire exercise aboard USS Blue Ridge

TOKYO BAY (Jan. 25, 2025) – Operations Specialist 3rd Class Aiden Blanchette, from Leesville, South Carolina, loads an M240B machine gun with ammunition during a live-fire exercise aboard the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) while underway in Tokyo Bay, Jan. 25, 2025. The Blue Ridge is the oldest operational ship in the Navy and routinely operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Damian Cook)