200626-N-EE423-2127 ARABIAN SEA (June 26, 2020) Lt. Gerhard Wald gives the signal to launch an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the Wildcats of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 131 from the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), June 26, 2020. Ike 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 and Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three critical chokepoints to the free flow of global commerce. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sophie A. Pinkham/Released)