Two Pacific-focused rotations cover more ground, and ocean, for the sea service.
Navy warships are being contested in the Red Sea at an unprecedented rate in modern times.
Maj. Terry Brayman joined the Air Force in 2014 and began flying the Osprey in 2020.
The accident, which remains under investigation, is the deadliest Air Force mishap since 2018, and the fourth fatal Osprey crash in two years.
The U.S. Navy said the ship “was conducting routine operations in international waters ... consistent with international law.”
Thursday's intercept was the second time the warship had shot down drones in eight days.
Capt. Carlos Mendoza and Staff Sgt. Morgan Reed received the medals Nov. 9.
Wednesday's intercept was the second time in less than a month that a Navy warship has shot down a potential threat.
China has stood by its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, clashing with its neighbors and drawing in the U.S., Manila’s treaty ally.
Navy officials said the carrier's port call was planned in advance and not a response to recent maritime collisions between Beijing and Manila.
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