Sailors give a thumbs up to launch an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the Diamondbacks of Strike Fighter Squadron 102 from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington. George Washington is participating in Valiant Shield, which is a U.S. only exercise integrating Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps assets, offering real-world joint operational experience to develop capabilities that provide a full range of options to defend U.S. interests and those of its allies and partners.