190413-N-OM854-0250 BAB AL-MANDEB STRAIT (April 13, 2019) Airman Johnny Andrews, left, from Washington, D.C., signals the pilots of an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 to take off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, April 13, 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 3rd Class Grant G. Grady/Released)