190418-N-IL409-0056 RED SEA (April 18, 2019) Egyptian Rear Adm. Nehad Shahean Ali, Northern Fleet Commander of the Egyptian navy, salutes sideboys on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the Red Sea, April 18, 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 illustration by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joshua L. Leonard/Released)