Prescott Native Serves Aboard USS Ronald Reagan

INDIAN OCEAN (JUN 22, 2021) – Prescott, Arkansas native and Prescott High graduate Seaman Cody Hampton is serving aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan departed Yokosuka, Japan on May 19 and is currently on deployment to support security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

During this routine at-sea period, Ronald Reagan, its strike group ships and the embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 are expected to work with allies and partners, promote adherence to a rules-based international order, as well as maintain presence and flexibility to meet the needs of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Hampton, a retail services specialist, is responsible for operating as a barber for sailors stationed aboard Ronald Reagan, including the commander of Task Force 70 and the ship’s commanding officer.

“My job is to provide a necessary service for the crew,” said Hampton. “Just a simple haircut can boost sailors’ morale and help them have a good day.”

“Ronald Reagan’s flexible presence is a key element in helping assure our regional allies and partners that the United States remains committed to ensuring freedom of the seas,” said Capt. Fred Goldhammer, Ronald Reagan’s commanding officer, from New York City. “Across the globe, the crew aboard Ronald Reagan seeks to preserve ‘peace through strength’ and is ready to answer the call.”

Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, as well as the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.