121030-N-TX154-005 SOUTH CHINA SEA (Oct. 30, 2012) - The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63) is lit by a full moon while the ship is underway at night. Cowpens is part of the George Washington Carrier Strike Group based out of Yokosuka, Japan, and is conducting a patrol of the western Pacific in support of regional security and stability of the vital Asia-Pacific region. The U.S. Navy has a 237-year heritage of defending freedom and projecting and protecting U.S. interests around the globe. Join the conversation on social media using #warfighting. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Paul Kelly/Released)