Armed Forces Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal (forward right), Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer (center right) and Armed Forces Philippines Flag Officer in Command Vice Adm. Robert Empredad (far right) salute U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim as he arrives for a reception held aboard U.S. 7th Fleet Flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19). Blue Ridge is the oldest operational ship in the Navy and, as 7th Fleet command ship, actively works to foster relationships with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific Region.
