200531-M-IR130-1022 STRAIT OF HORMUZ (May 31, 2020) The guided-missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) travels alongside the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) during a transit through the Strait of Hormuz, May 31, 2020. Bataan, with embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean through the western Indian Ocean and three critical chokepoints to the free flow of global commerce. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Gary Jayne III/Released)