Operations Officer Lt. Cmdr. Zachery McCarty talks to sailors visiting from Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH 182) on the main deck as U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) departs from Yokosuka, Japan to transit to Tokyo. Blue Ridge's visit to Tokyo is an outward demonstration of U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan, the strong relationship between the U.S. Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and will help maintain peace and stability throughout the entire East Asia region.