190627-N-PM193-1202 GULF OF ADEN (June 27, 2019) Capt. Ronald Dowdell, center, commanding officer of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), cuts a cake with Boxer’s diversity committee during an LGBTQI Pride Month celebration on the mess decks. Boxer is part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and 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 Alexander C. Kubitza/Released)