PREVIEW

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III greets Adm. Stuart B. Munsch, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa onboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in the Eastern Mediterranean, Dec. 20, 2023 during a surprise unannounced visit. The USS Ford is in the Middle East as part of the U.S. effort deter neither state or non-state actors should hope to escalate the ongoing conflict beyond Gaza