190218-M-QF372-1184 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA of Operations (Feb.18, 2019) Lance Cpl. Harrison Vartanian, a machine gunner with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), fires the M240B machine gun at an inflatable target during a targeting exercise on the flight deck of the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43). Marines and Sailors with the 22nd MEU and Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group are 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. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Antonio Garcia/Released)