190404-N-FK318-0156 GULF OF OMAN (April 4, 2019) Gunner’s Mate 1st Class Vincent Balla, from Lakeland, Tennessee, fires a .50 caliber machine gun during a live-fire exercise aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) in the Gulf of Oman, April 4, 2019. Stockdale 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 2nd Class Abigayle Lutz/Released)