Sailors assigned to the forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) received a video teleconference call from President Donald Trump during a port visit to Hong Kong, Nov. 22.

Seventeen Sailors and officers sat in on the VTC with President Trump and other service members from the other branches of the armed forces.

“The president called USS Ronald Reagan and other service components of different branches to wish us all a happy Thanksgiving and to also discuss how happy he was of us,” Legalman 1st Class Keia Greenwood, from West Palm Beach, Florida said. “He knows that we wish to be with our families, but we are out here doing great things.”

The president asked each service, regionally and branch specific questions, requesting the commander’s honest assessment of the mission in their areas of responsibilities.

The commanders responded in kind, wishing the president a very happy Thanksgiving on behalf of their Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Soldiers.

“The president asked good questions about future technology and is very understanding of our naval systems and technology,” said Electronics Technician 2nd Class Michael Syzmanski, from Fort Worth, Texas. “I was very impressed and really enjoyed the overall experience.”

The president remarked that Reagan’s motto “Peace through strength” was a motto they follow at home. Ronald Reagan and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

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