Photo: Owego native in the South China Sea for MFTA Recovery

From the front, Sonar Technician (Surface) 3rd Class Courtney Browder and Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Eric Theal, from Owego, New York, guide the Multi-Function Towed Array cable during a MFTA recovery aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101) in the South China Sea, May 14, 2025.

Gridley, assigned to the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, is underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations on a scheduled deployment, demonstrating the U.S. Navy’s unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Timothy Meyer)