250711-N-ZW825-1178 BRISBANE, Australia (July 11, 2025) U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Chris Niedziocha, left, the commanding officer of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, answers a question from U.S. Consul General Jeremy Cornforth aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) ahead of the Trilateral Terms of Reference Agreement signing, July 11. America hosted the trilateral arrangement signing to further cooperate amongst the U.S. Navy, Royal Australian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, in Brisbane, Australia, affirming the commitment to supply chain collaboration and interoperability among the three navies, further affirming our shared commitment to a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific. America, lead ship of the America Strike Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Byron C. Linder)
