First published in the June 18 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
During a recent exercise in the Philippine Sea, machinist’s mate fireman Adrian Belmonte, a Glendale native, directs the pilot of an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the Eagles of Strike Fighter Squadron 115 through safety checks on the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan, the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier. The Eagles conduct carrier-based air-strike and strike-force escort missions, as well as ship, battle group and intelligence collection operations. USS Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force for the U.S. military and supports the country’s alliances, partnerships and collective-maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region.