210528-N-WU807-1015 APRA HARBOR, Guam (May 28, 2021) German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer arrives aboard Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18), May 28. Charleston, part of Destroyer Squadron Seven, is on a rotational deployment operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operation to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.