190102-M-PK127-1014 ARABIAN SEA (Jan. 2, 2019) Marines assigned to the Command Element of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) fire from the kneeling position during a morning rifle range aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Jan. 2, 2019. Essex is the flagship for the Essex Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 13th MEU, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Francisco J. Diaz Jr./Released)