200223-N-KC192-1041 ARABIAN GULF (Feb. 23, 2020) Capt. Bryan Carmichael, executive officer of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), speaks with Brig. Gen. Edrees Alabdullatif, deputy commander, Kuwait Naval Forces, and Brig. Gen. Mohammed Al-Eid, commander of Kuwait Special Naval Units, during a tour of Bataan, Feb. 23, 2020. Bataan is the flagship for the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet in support of naval operations to help ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the Western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Levi Decker/Released)