190107-N-HX510-0002 ARABIAN GULF (Jan. 7, 2019) Aviation Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Kenneth Alevedo, from Reno, Nevada, removes a secondary seal from the variable exhaust nozzle on an F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 97, in the hangar bay aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the Arabian Gulf, Jan. 7, 2019. The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group 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 the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Jarrod A. Schad/Released)