190523-N-DS741-0139 ARABIAN SEA (May 23, 2019) Chief Boatswain’s Mate Jesus Lopez, left, from Newark, N.J., and Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Tarrance Johnson, from Houston, Texas, both assigned to the deck division aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), give take off signals to an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter from the “Griffins” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 49 assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Leyte Gulf is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet areas of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and Pacific through the Western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Zachary Pearson/Released)