SOUTH CHINA SEA–Last week, Hull Maintenance Technician 3rd Class Gavin Hill, from Ogden, Iowa, prepared to weld a pipe bracket aboard the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42). Germantown, part of Commander, Amphibious Squadron 11, is deployed to the Indo-Pacific region to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. The work is some of the daily operations handled by Hill.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Toni Burton)
