Seniors from Nile C. Kinnick High School take a selfie aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, April 18, 2023. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – An aircraft carrier hits different as a backdrop for a high school class photo.
Seniors at Yokosuka’s Nile C. Kinnick High School lined up for their class picture Tuesday aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, the centerpiece of the 7th Fleet. It’s one advantage of graduating from a Defense Department school.
Students from Nile C. Kinnick High School pose for a senior class photo aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, April 18, 2023. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
Seniors from Nile C. Kinnick Senior High School take a selfie with a statue of Ronald Reagan aboard the former president's namesake aircraft carrier at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, April 18, 2023. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
Seniors from Nile C. Kinnick High School pose aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, April 18, 2023. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
A senior from Nile C. Kinnick Senior High School poses aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, April 18, 2023. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
Seniors from Nile C. Kinnick High School ride an elevator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, April 18, 2023. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
Seniors from Nile C. Kinnick High School tour the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, April 18, 2023. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
Seniors from Nile C. Kinnick High School tour the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, April 18, 2023. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
About 100 students from the class of 2023 came aboard the Ronald Reagan for a tour and a look at sailor life. Some members of the graduating class have parents serving aboard the carrier and many know members of its crew.
“The event was a success and exceeded expectations as the students were allowed to use the ship's aircraft elevator upon exiting,” said Rosie Ortiz-Torres, a Ronald Reagan ombudsman. “Additionally, they have a great class photo as a keepsake to look back some day and share this moment for years to come.”
