190303-M-BY563-1020 GULF OF OMAN (March 3, 2019) An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter hovers, waiting to drop crates from the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) to the Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43) during a vertical replenishment-at-sea. Marines and Sailors with the 22nd MEU and Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group are currently 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 Sgt. Davin BrinkClapp/Released)