U.S. Navy Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Samuel Osborn, from Lascassas, Tenn., continues to document American military history while onboard aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). The Nimitz is currently underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations. Third Fleet's area of responsibility includes close to fifty million square miles of the eastern and northern Pacific Ocean, including the Bering Sea, Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and a sector of the Arctic.

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

Prior to Osborn heading out to sea, the Nimitz was in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard up until mid-February (See previous photo HERE). The shipyard is home to a massive maintenance facility under the United States Navy. The shipyard covers 179 acres on the Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington. The shipyard has been in uninterrupted use since its establishment in 1891. When looking at the map, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is the Pacific Northwest's largest naval shore facility and one of Washington state's largest industrial installations. The base provides the Navy with maintenance, modernization, and technical and logistics support, while employing 14,000 people.