150427-N-IK337-166 PACIFIC OCEAN - USS Freedom comes alongside USS John C. Stennis. U.S. Navy ships are underway conducting an Independent Deployer Certification Exercise in the Southern California Operating Area. The exercise provides a multi-ship environment to train and certify independent deployers in surface warfare, air defense, maritime interception operations, command and control/information warfare, command, control, computers and combat systems intelligence and mine warfare.