150518-N-TE278-071 YOKOSUKA, Japan Rear Adm. John Alexander, commander, Battle Force 7th Fleet, center, speaks with the media prior to the departure of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington for its 2015 patrol. George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.