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Caption:
Panama City, Panama (Aug. 9, 2005) -- U.S. Naval personnel assigned to
the guided missile cruiser USS Thomas S. Gates (CG 51), prepare for
departure as they begin the at-sea portion of PANAMAX 2005. PANAMAX is
a training exercise in defense of the Panama Canal involving 15
countries. The Panama Canal is critical to the free flow of trade and
goods in the Western Hemisphere and the entire world. The region's
economy and stability largely depend on the safe transport of several
hundred million tons of cargo that transit through the canal every
year. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Veronica Pierce
(RELEASED)
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