(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— ATLANTIC OCEAN— Ship’s Serviceman Seaman Apprentice Jaethomas Smith, from Apple Valley, Calif., hugs his wife aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) before departing for deployment April 1. USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) departs Naval Station Norfolk as part of Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group’s (ABECSG) deployment in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility. With CVN 72 as the flagship, deploying strike group assets include staffs, ships and aircraft of Carrier Strike Group Twelve (CSG-12), Destroyer Squadron Two (DESRON 2) and Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7); as well as Alvaro de Bazan-class Spanish frigate ESPS Méndez Núñez (F 104).