The guided missile cruiser USS Princeton participated in a show of force strait transit training exercise around San Clemente Island off the coast of Southern California, March 25.
A show of force strait transit training exercise is conducted by a carrier strike group to train the ships to work together when entering a narrow passageway of water.
Princeton, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, and guided missile destroyers USS Shoup, USS Howard and USS Pinckney conducted the exercise, steaming as one unified force.
The exercise also included helicopters from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 75, which acted as the eyes in the sky.
"Our bird is all the way forward," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Sean Cooper, the air boss of Princeton and officer in charge of HSM-75. "It scopes out what is in front of the whole unit and relays information to the group."
Not only does the exercise teach the ships and helicopters to work together, but it trains sailors to support the mission of the team, as well.
"The purpose of this training is to motivate the sailors and give them the right knowledge on how to support the ship and the team as a whole," said Navy Chief Gunner's Mate Trayvon Turner.
Princeton is currently underway for a composite training unit exercise with the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in preparation for an upcoming deployment. These types of exercises test the mission readiness of a strike group's assets and their ability to perform as an integrated unit through the use of simulated real-world scenarios.