The future amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) color guard parades the colors during a chief petty officer pinning ceremony on board future amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). This year marks the first time a chief pinning ceremony was held aboard the ship. America is the first ship of its class, replacing the Tarawa-class of amphibious assault ships. As the next generation "big-deck" amphibious assault ship, America is optimized for aviation, capable of supporting current and future aircraft such as the MV-22 Osprey and F-35B Joint Strike Fighter. The ship is scheduled to be ceremoniously commissioned Oct. 11 in San Francisco. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class John Scorza/Released)