ATLANTIC OCEAN. The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) transits the Atlantic coast while underway. Iwo Jima is conducting advanced-phase training exercises designed to enhance warfighting readiness and interoperability at sea. Iwo Jima is the flagship of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group which is uniquely positioned to deter aggression, project power through presence abroad, and execute contingency missions with its integrated Marine Corps team in support of U.S. strategic interests. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Zachary Swigart)U.S. Navy and NASA medical personnel simulate a medical examination of an Astronaut aboard amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25) during NASA Underway Recovery Test 12 medical drills in the Pacific Ocean, March 27, 2025. In preparation for NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission, which will send four astronauts around the Moon and beyond in the Orion spacecraft, NASA and the Department of Defense will conduct a series of tests to demonstrate and evaluate the processes, procedures, and hardware used in recovery operations for crewed lunar missions. The Department of Defense has many unique capabilities that make it an ideal partner to support NASA, including its amphibious ships with the ability to embark helicopters, launch and recover small boats and provide medical care at advanced onboard facilities. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Olivia Rucker)Sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25), Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 “Wildcards,” and NASA personnel assist NASA Astronauts onto the “front porch,” an inflatable raft, during NASA Underway Recovery Test 12 in the Pacific Ocean, March 28, 2025. In preparation for NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission, which will send four astronauts around the Moon and beyond in the Orion spacecraft, NASA and the Department of Defense will conduct a series of tests to demonstrate and evaluate the processes, procedures, and hardware used in recovery operations for crewed lunar missions. The Department of Defense has many unique capabilities that make it an ideal partner to support NASA, including its amphibious ships with the ability to embark helicopters, launch and recover small boats and provide medical care at advanced onboard facilities. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Olivia Rucker)
