India native in the U.S. Navy returns aboard USS Ralph Johnson for exercise Tiger Triumph 2025

by Commander, Task Force 70 / Carrier Strike Group 5

07 April 2025 VISAKHAPATNAM, Andra Pradesh, India (April 7, 2025) Operations Specialist 3rd Class Neet Patel, 26, assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), moved to the United States from Gujarat, on the west coast of India, with his parents and brother in 2014. He joined the Navy three years ago, seeing it as an opportunity for a career.

"My job as an (Operations Specialist) is to maintain situational awareness around the ship with radars, plotting, help the ship out with navigation when we come in through straits or any (waterways)," said Patel.

As part of the ship’s operations department, he helped Ralph Johnson pull into Visakhapatnam, a city in Andhra Pradesh, India on March 30 to participate in the fourth iteration of Exercise Tiger Triumph, an annual joint combined India-U.S. amphibious exercise. While most of Ralph Johnson's sailors saw India for the first time from aboard the destroyer, Patel was back in a familiar country.

"Coming back to India has been really awesome," said Patel. "I always wanted to be in Andhra. I love Andhra food, being honest. I'm going to try and get some Osmania biscuits. I have to have them."

Osmania biscuits, a popular tea biscuit from Hyderabad, are a crunchy and mildly sweet delicacy. Amongst his fellow sailors, Patel's knowledge of the local cuisine and culture has started many conversations.

"We have talked a lot about how the languages are really an awesome part of India, the diversity,” he said. “That's the culture that I have told (my shipmates) about. ... I feel awesome. You wouldn't believe how many times I've been asked, 'Oh, what should I do in India? What should I be looking for in India? What's the culture like? What should I be doing?’"

Ralph Johnson, Patel’s first command, is participating in the exercise which started on April 1. During the harbor phase of the exercise, sailors and Marines have had the opportunity to volunteer in the local community, play sports with their Indian Navy counterparts, and exchange knowledge as well as culture.

Tiger Triumph, a joint India-U.S. amphibious exercise, involves approximately 3,000 personnel and at least four ships and seven aircraft from the two countries.

In addition to Ralph Johnson, U.S. Navy units including the landing ship dock USS Comstock (LSD 45) and a P-8A Poseidon from Commander, Task Force 72.

Tiger Triumph is a joint and combined U.S.-India exercise focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster response readiness and interoperability. Tiger Triumph enables U.S. and Indian armed forces to improve interoperability and bilateral, joint, and service readiness in the Indian Ocean region and beyond to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Ralph Johnson operates under Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy's largest forward-deployed destroyer squadron and the U.S. 7th Fleet's principal surface force.

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.